posted on Mar, 13 2010 @ 12:01 PM
I see where you're coming from, but, in the developed Western world suicide is considered a sympton of a mental disorder. We as a society don't
believe that suicide is acceptable under any circumstances, and that people who killed themselves are suffering from some psychological dysfunction.
We believe that is the only way to explain why someone would want to kill themselves. Therefore, we will never help them do it because this would be
facilitating the dysfunctional behavior of someone who is unable to make reasonable descisions for themselves.
I think the point is at least worth discussing though. Our prison systems are a complete disaster, and I'm not entirely convinced that people in
general shouldn't have a right to suicide. Although, we do know that in many cases mentally diseased people want to and try to kill themselves, but
then if they get better they are often glad that they didn't kill themselves.
It's a tricky issue. Plus, in many cases, if you really want to do it you can. You don't need the government to hand you a needle.
Also, there will be people who claim that suicide is "too good" for some prisoners. These people want the prisoners alive and unhappy for as long
as possible. I am of the opinion that this position is quite distasteful.
Your question is hard to answer. Mainly because we want to protect the truly mentally unsound from making a discision like suicide, because they are
not thinking rationally and the effects of their discision are perminent. It's hard to figure out who these "truly" mentally unsound people are,
and who are the people who in their minds have given it a lot of thought and decided to end it all. Most brain and behavioral doctors and scientists
will tell you that if you want to kill yourself, and are prepared to act on this desire, then that automatically means you are mentally unsound.
I'm not sure. I guess the first question would be, "Are there any people who are in their right minds and who have rationally decided to kill
themselves?" If the answer is no, then we cannot provide the right to suicide. If the answer is yes, the next question is, "How can we tell these
people from the people who have arrived at the same descision while mentally unsound?"
I think it's such a tricky issue that it is likely to go unaddressed by any governmental institution, at least for now.