Assisted Suicide in Canada.

[eyeball]

The ancient source of the word euthanasia.

Do you have any evidence that people had the means to either kill themselves or have others do the job for them but didn't?

[ColdComfort]

The ancient source of the word euthanasia.

Do you have any evidence that people had the means to either kill themselves or have others do the job for them but didn't?

The word is Greek but that doesn't mean it was used in Hellenistic times. According to this link it was but referred to a good or easy death. The link also tells us that advocates of what we define as euthanasia start appearing about 1900. Public opinion much later in the century as evidenced by the development of laws that permit it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia

[ColdComfort]

The word is Greek but that doesn't mean it was used in Hellenistic times. According to this link it was but referred to a good or easy death. The link also tells us that advocates of what we define as euthanasia start appearing about 1900. Public opinion much later in the century as evidenced by the development of laws that permit it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia

My point in all this is that we, who have the knowledge to control pain, think this is moral. In periods where people did not it was neither legal nor considered moral. I think it would make a good discussion as to why and maybe a cautionary tale for those who advocate for it with such certainty.

[Guest]

The word is Greek but that doesn't mean it was used in Hellenistic times. According to this link it was but referred to a good or easy death. The link also tells us that advocates of what we define as euthanasia start appearing about 1900. Public opinion much later in the century as evidenced by the development of laws that permit it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia

My point in all this is that we, who have the knowledge to control pain, think this is moral. In periods where people did not it was neither legal nor considered moral. I think it would make a good discussion as to why and maybe a cautionary tale for those who advocate for it with such certainty.

The immorality is in telling people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. It really is that simple.

I understand true autonomy will never be allowed, but that's no reason not to strive for it.

[Big Guy]

I view euthanasia as giving the handicapped individual the same rights and ability as an able bodied person.

Any able bodied individual has the right and ability to end their own lives at any time. It is called suicide.

The fact that a person is disabled does not mean they do not have the right to make that same decision. The difference is that they require assistance to fulfill their wishes. We have to allow them to obtain that assistance.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Big Guy

[Guest]

I view euthanasia as giving the handicapped individual the same rights and ability as an able bodied person.

Any able bodied individual has the right and ability to end their own lives at any time. It is called suicide.

The fact that a person is disabled does not mean they do not have the right to make that same decision. The difference is that they require assistance to fulfill their wishes. We have to allow them to obtain that assistance.

I fully agree, but in the interests of fairness, an able bodied person should have the right to do it that way too. It's a lot less messy, and there's no chance you screw up and stay alive with fewer faculties.

[ColdComfort]

I fully agree, but in the interests of fairness, an able bodied person should have the right to do it that way too. It's a lot less messy, and there's no chance you screw up and stay alive with fewer faculties.

One of the questions that arise is the actual reasoning behind this new law. It seems to me that if it's a question of personal autonomy then pretty well anyone should be able to exercise that right. But the Court also said a gov't could confine it to situations where pain, psychological or physical, was intolerable and had no remedy. One of the concerns is future cases where someone is depressed. Medicine has effective remedies but as long as consent and mental capability is there why should we have the right to prevent such people to an easy death and not force them to jump off a bridge or something like that.

[Guest]

One of the questions that arise is the actual reasoning behind this new law. It seems to me that if it's a question of personal autonomy then pretty well anyone should be able to exercise that right. But the Court also said a gov't could confine it to situations where pain, psychological or physical, was intolerable and had no remedy. One of the concerns is future cases where someone is depressed. Medicine has effective remedies but as long as consent and mental capability is there why should we have the right to prevent such people to an easy death and not force them to jump off a bridge or something like that.

Agreed. I think the law as it is proposed is far too restrictive.

[ColdComfort]

I fully agree, but in the interests of fairness, an able bodied person should have the right to do it that way too. It's a lot less messy, and there's no chance you screw up and stay alive with fewer faculties.

I find this shocking. I think this kind of comment reflects the real reason why legal and moral standards have changed so quickly. Our culture simply doesn't respect the value of a human life as it once did. Personal autonomy is an ideology and it's more important to be ideologically correct than to be concerned about the preservation of the life of a real human being. My friend 'Joe' wants to kill himself. So let's make it easy for 'Joe' to kill himself. It's his right and we certainly don't want him to leave a mess when he does it.

[Guest]

I find this shocking. I think this kind of comment reflects the real reason why legal and moral standards have changed so quickly. Our culture simply doesn't respect the value of a human life as it once did. Personal autonomy is an ideology and it's more important to be ideologically correct than to be concerned about the preservation of the life of a real human being. My friend 'Joe' wants to kill himself. So let's make it easy for 'Joe' to kill himself. It's his right and we certainly don't want him to leave a mess when he does it.

I think it shows a profound lack of respect for human life to deny someone the right to end theirs. I find it unconscionable that people would force others to bear the brunt of their squeamishness.

Edited April 23, 2016 by bcsapper

[ColdComfort]

Excellent BC! Respect for life requires us to make death clean, easy and widely available. Big Brother would be proud. I don't know you and I wonder if you're trolling. I hope so.

[Guest]

Excellent BC! Respect for life requires us to make death clean, easy and widely available. Big Brother would be proud. I don't know you and I wonder if you're trolling. I hope so.

I might say the same about you. You want to impose your wishes on complete strangers. I would hope you are trolling, but experience tells me otherwise.

Welcome to the site, by the way. You're gonna fit right in.

Edited April 23, 2016 by bcsapper

[Big Guy]

I might say the same about you. You want to impose your wishes on complete strangers. I would hope you are trolling, but experience tells me otherwise.

Welcome to the site, by the way. You're gonna fit right in.

I am with bcsapper on this one. I believe that a person has the right to make their own decisions on their life based on their own beliefs, ethics and morality. I say that you choose the way you live and the way you die and if it does not effect me personally then I have no right to impose my beliefs, ethics and morality on you. Conversely, you have no right to use legislation to try to limit my freedom to live or die based on your beliefs, ethics and morality.

I also believe that this legislation should make access to physician assisted suicide equal to all, able bodied or handicapped, and allow them the choice of a death which is "clean, easy and widely available."

I believe that respect for the freedom of human choice supersedes the respect for human life when the two are in conflict.

[dre]

I also believe that this legislation should make access to physician assisted suicide equal to all, able bodied or handicapped, and allow them the choice of a death which is "clean, easy and widely available."

Maybe it will at some point. But this legislation is an important first step in an area where its badly needed.

[square]

Anyone else shocked the legislation doesn't go further?

[Smallc]

Anyone else shocked the legislation doesn't go further?

Apparently, some Liberals are.

[square]

Apparently, some Liberals are.

You know you fell short when your own party members say that.

[Guest]

Anyone else shocked the legislation doesn't go further?

Angered, but not shocked.

[Hal 9000]

Once the door is open, it can only open wider. Check out the path of assisted suicide in other countries around the world. Lawyers will stretch the semantics so much that eventually a bad haircut on a bipolar person will be acceptable grounds for suicide.

[Smallc]

Once the door is open, it can only open wider. Check out the path of assisted suicide in other countries around the world. Lawyers will stretch the semantics so much that eventually a bad haircut on a bipolar person will be acceptable grounds for suicide.

Since people can freely commit suicide now, that's fine.

[Hal 9000]

Since people can freely commit suicide now, that's fine.

I didn't say now...did I? As I said, and you for some reason couldn't comprehend, is that every country has started out with many guidelines on assisted suicide, only to see the law stretched into something quite different from the intended purpose. It's really just a matter of time.

[Smallc]

I didn't say now...did I? As I said, and you for some reason couldn't comprehend, is that every country has started out with many guidelines on assisted suicide, only to see the law stretched into something quite different from the intended purpose. It's really just a matter of time.

And I said that you can go kill yourself right now for any reason. The guidelines get stretched because people that can't do it themselves don't have the same right or ability.

[jbg]

People had the means to either kill themselves or have others do the job for them but they didn't. In fact, until recent years such a notion would have been regarded as bizarre. What's changed.? Do people really believe that somehow we have become so enlightened that what was a moral certainty just a few short years ago can now be rejected as clearly wrong?

Killing oneself when severely compromised may be easier said than done. I have posted earlier as to why I favor limited, protected assisted suicide. Let's just say, in summation, we treat our dogs better than we treat our people.

[Big Guy]

Why not have a referendum on the issue?

[Guest]

Why not have a referendum on the issue?

I imagine it would be tough to come up with the question, and even tougher to stick to the result once it was known.