Do the Terminally Ill Have a Right to Die?

Originally posted by Baddogma
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

Do we really respect freedom of the individual, or do we think people need to be guided like children?
Everyone has the right to do what they want to themselves as long as it doesn't harm others and that goes for drugs, lethal, necessary or fun. I've watched my parents' entire generation die and only saw two deaths out of fourteen that I'd like for myself. Keeping the body alive of someone who's old and demented is demented and cruel itself. We are scared children when it comes to death and we have banished it to sterile cells away from our awareness.
I've had enough death for a few lifetimes and would like a break, but as far as outlawing suicide? It's a fine line between overstepping authority over someone else's body and slavery. I guess it would be logical to make suicide legal and just try to keep folks from doing it, like we do already. Suicidal people who are serious are gonna do it whether or not it's legal.
The do good instinct to screw with people always goes too far and though the sentiment is understandable, it's wrong to make it a law when it comes to ones autonomy. It should just be the understood right thing to do.
And health care should be paid for by everyone in a civilized society. So should food and rudimentary shelter, but I digress.

Thank you for your reply it was a good post

This issue has nothing to do with legal rights. Just because they try to force us to believe it is isn't enough. It is psychological and philosophical.

I don't think the issue is 'right or not', I think it is 'to do it or not'. You could keep talking about it being right or wrong, illegal or legal.. But at the end you would be in the same place as before.

Nobody should tell anybody what to do. Nobody will never know how someone feels. If I don't let you die, that means that I'm violating your freedom and I have privileges over you.

Of course they have a right to die. Everyone has. Just because it isn't in the law doesn't mean you don't have it.

See? We just keep playing their game.

Originally posted by lisa2012
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

I totally agree with your point of view , as a matter of fact is moral to do this than otherwise.
S&F for your post.

I am wondering when we will be able not to let society, rules and laws rule over this particular decision and let the person make their own without feeling guilty or making the family members feel guilty.

thank you lisa

Only when they are of sound mind and judgement and when there truly is not hope.. But it should not be the doctors ability to be forced to kill. If he wants to die, give him his meds and have off with him. He can die in his home or office on his own accords by his own will.

Originally posted by Baddogma
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

Do we really respect freedom of the individual, or do we think people need to be guided like children?
Everyone has the right to do what they want to themselves as long as it doesn't harm others and that goes for drugs, lethal, necessary or fun. I've watched my parents' entire generation die and only saw two deaths out of fourteen that I'd like for myself. Keeping the body alive of someone who's old and demented is demented and cruel itself. We are scared children when it comes to death and we have banished it to sterile cells away from our awareness.
I've had enough death for a few lifetimes and would like a break, but as far as outlawing suicide? It's a fine line between overstepping authority over someone else's body and slavery. I guess it would be logical to make suicide legal and just try to keep folks from doing it, like we do already. Suicidal people who are serious are gonna do it whether or not it's legal.
The do good instinct to screw with people always goes too far and though the sentiment is understandable, it's wrong to make it a law when it comes to ones autonomy. It should just be the understood right thing to do.
And health care should be paid for by everyone in a civilized society. So should food and rudimentary shelter, but I digress.

Thank you so much for your post alot of your points are good ones

some one who hates life and wants to die.
you say they should get help!
but some one in a lot of physical pain you can see.
then you say it is there choice?
there is no difference.
and what if the one in pain kills them self.
and the next day they find the cure!
how much pain must we go thru?
we all die some time.
so why can we not make the choice when to die.
could it because it would inconvenience you?
or you wont the person to live for you?
and mental pain is still suffering.
get a disposable barbeque, light out side.
when smoke stops take in to a small room.
put as high as you can.
not to high as heat may set fire to ceiling.
with all vents below 4 feet block’t.
lay on floor and seep.
carbon dioxide.

no has the right to force you to live, it is your choice

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by matrix99
Everyone already has the so-called right to die. ... Why do some people feel this issue has to be codified into law?

I agree that anyone can die anytime they want to. But as it is now, there's a social stigma around suicide that is very negative. It is seen as a weakness and people talk about it in hushed terms, even embarrassed and ashamed that their family member committed this act. It's done in garages and bedrooms, sometimes leaving horrible messes for the loved ones to deal with.

If it were legal, then people could choose to do it under supervision, in hospitals and they could talk openly with their families about it and explain why they were making this choice. It would still be hard on the family, I'm sure, but at least they could ask questions and be somewhat resolved about what was happening.

That's just my view on it.

I think your view on this is a good one..I wish they would make it legal for those reasons

Originally posted by Spinotoror
This issue has nothing to do with legal rights. Just because they try to force us to believe it is isn't enough. It is psychological and philosophical.

I don't think the issue is 'right or not', I think it is 'to do it or not'. You could keep talking about it being right or wrong, illegal or legal.. But at the end you would be in the same place as before.

Nobody should tell anybody what to do. Nobody will never know how someone feels. If I don't let you die, that means that I'm violating your freedom and I have privileges over you.

Of course they have a right to die. Everyone has. Just because it isn't in the law doesn't mean you don't have it.

See? We just keep playing their game.

edit on 3-4-2011 by Spinotoror because: (no reason given)

around and around we go yep its a game i agree

Originally posted by Gorman91
Only when they are of sound mind and judgement and when there truly is not hope.. But it should not be the doctors ability to be forced to kill. If he wants to die, give him his meds and have off with him. He can die in his home or office on his own accords by his own will.

Thank you Gorman91 for your post..

Originally posted by buddha
some one who hates life and wants to die.
you say they should get help!
but some one in a lot of physical pain you can see.
then you say it is there choice?
there is no difference.
and what if the one in pain kills them self.
and the next day they find the cure!
how much pain must we go thru?
we all die some time.
so why can we not make the choice when to die.
could it because it would inconvenience you?
or you wont the person to live for you?
and mental pain is still suffering.
get a disposable barbeque, light out side.
when smoke stops take in to a small room.
put as high as you can.
not to high as heat may set fire to ceiling.
with all vents below 4 feet block’t.
lay on floor and seep.
carbon dioxide.

Id rather light the BBQ and have a nice juicy steak

Originally posted by Dinogur
no has the right to force you to live, it is your choice

thank you for your reply Dinogur

does someone who has to take a crap deserve a toilet?

of course.

Originally posted by sugarcookie1

Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

sugarcookie1, I think here in America we are woefully behind the times with respecting a persons right to die. I advocate that people after a given age should have the ability to cease their existence in a respectful manner.

Aside from terminal illness are people who suffer terrible mental or physical pain daily. They should have the right to not only terminate themselves, there should be the option to have ones organs and such donated. Maybe another person will have a better life, or a medical student will learn to perfect a procedure, there are many plus sides to being a donor.

I liked the movie Soylent Green. In their futuristic civilization are places for people to go when they choose to die. They are treated with respect and dignity. These people didn't have to cause a traumatic situation with a messy suicide. They no longer had to suffer, to long for what they miss. they did not have to worry about being found dead in their little apartment weeks after the fact. Respect and dignity.

I understand not many people may agree with my opinion. That's okay. Take care sugarcookie1

Thank you for your reply and Ive looked into organs donated i would love to be able to do that but sadly most of my organs are to damaged,meaning heart,lungs,kidneys and most major organs but they might be able to use my eyes and i would gladly gIve those and anything else that could be used..I'm on the list and have been for many years to get a new set of lungs from a doner but there few to be had i wish more people would consider donateing body parts after death..all i want is the choice to die with dignity when that time comes..thanks for the reply

Sugarcookie, I don't want to pry, but this post had me thinking you have CF. If that is the case my thoughts, prayers, good wishes, etc. go out to you and yours. I grew up with my best friend who had this. Her childhood was filled with lots of misery and hospitalizations. I saw her pain and her fight through it all. I know I don't "know" you, and you don't "know" me, but I would like to offer an ear or shoulder to you should you ever need an extra one. Just shoot me a U2U.

Originally posted by Kangaruex4Ewe

Originally posted by sugarcookie1

Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

sugarcookie1, I think here in America we are woefully behind the times with respecting a persons right to die. I advocate that people after a given age should have the ability to cease their existence in a respectful manner.

Aside from terminal illness are people who suffer terrible mental or physical pain daily. They should have the right to not only terminate themselves, there should be the option to have ones organs and such donated. Maybe another person will have a better life, or a medical student will learn to perfect a procedure, there are many plus sides to being a donor.

I liked the movie Soylent Green. In their futuristic civilization are places for people to go when they choose to die. They are treated with respect and dignity. These people didn't have to cause a traumatic situation with a messy suicide. They no longer had to suffer, to long for what they miss. they did not have to worry about being found dead in their little apartment weeks after the fact. Respect and dignity.

I understand not many people may agree with my opinion. That's okay. Take care sugarcookie1

Thank you for your reply and Ive looked into organs donated i would love to be able to do that but sadly most of my organs are to damaged,meaning heart,lungs,kidneys and most major organs but they might be able to use my eyes and i would gladly gIve those and anything else that could be used..I'm on the list and have been for many years to get a new set of lungs from a doner but there few to be had i wish more people would consider donateing body parts after death..all i want is the choice to die with dignity when that time comes..thanks for the reply

Sugarcookie, I don't want to pry, but this post had me thinking you have CF. If that is the case my thoughts, prayers, good wishes, etc. go out to you and yours. I grew up with my best friend who had this. Her childhood was filled with lots of misery and hospitalizations. I saw her pain and her fight through it all. I know I don't "know" you, and you don't "know" me, but I would like to offer an ear or shoulder to you should you ever need an extra one. Just shoot me a U2U.

Yes i have CF and thank you for all the good wishes ..Me and the hospital are great friends ive spent most of life in them there almost like home to me may i ask did your friend pass on? Im sure she put up a heck of a fight CFrs are good at that..thank you for the open invite to U2U i just might and thanks

reply to post by sugarcookie1


Sadly she did. She made it to 25 with a damned good fight. We were thick as thieves from 6 years up.

And you are more than welcome. Knowing what you are going through, my heart goes out to you. The invititation is always open. I am up until the wee hours of the morning most of the time. Anytime is an ok time.

reply to post by sugarcookie1


I feel the exact same way! How can a society decide it is ok to put a suffering pet down that can't make that choice for themselves tell people that are terminally ill that they can not have that choice?? It makes absolutely no sense to me!

If your dieing anyway and suffering beyond control of meds. as long as a person is in their right mind and can still make those decisions for themselves I see absolutely nothing wrong with it at all!!! Not only are you dieing a slow agonizing death but your family and other loved ones have to sit there feeling helpless and watch you die little by little, day by day.

I had to experience watching my sister in-law die a horrible death. She knew she was dying and asked to have everything possible to keep her alive. Her family believed that people dying should be kept alive at any cost because God would decide when to take them. Before knowing she had cancer, I had many conversations about this with my in-laws and felt they were totally wrong. They thought Dr. Jack Kevorkian helping with assisted suicide was criminal. We also argued about the Terry Schiavo case and the right to die battle.

My sister in-law and I were very close, and I had a hard time watching her suffer for 6 pain staking months with ovarian cancer. She was bed ridden, chronically taking pain pills to relieve the pain. Her family had to watch as she was hooked up to a dialysis machine, tubes draining her lungs, she had a tracheotomy and had a machine that helped her breath. She had monitors hooked up to check her pulse and heart rate 24/7. She retained so much fluid, her feet blew up like balloons. She was hooked up to a feeding tube for 5 months and couldn't eat. She could only suck on a small wet sponge on a stick to keep her mouth from getting dry. A couple of her teeth fell out. On my visits I wouldn't want her husband to wake her if she was sleeping because I knew if she woke up she would be in pain. Her family never left her side for the entire 6 months of torment. All we could do is rub her arms and hope she knew we were there. A couple of times she tried pulling herself out of her bed because she just wanted to go home. We couldn't do that because if the hospital removed all the tubes and monitors she would have died. Eventually the entire family hoped death would come soon because watching her suffer was just unbearable. She eventually passed in the middle of the night with all of us by her side. Her family now feels differently about the prospects of keeping loved ones alive. Going through that experience and watching their daughter and sister suffer like that changed their views overnight. We treat animals with more respect than we do our own human race. There's nothing wrong with having someone pass in peace rather than suffer there remaining days on earth. Peace.

Ok, when it comes to uthenasia, I believe every individual has a right to deside if they can die or not and in certain cases have a medical proffessional take the decision. If I were in a vegetative state I hope that someone has the guts to pull the plug. I had read a couple af years back that doctors had found that certain people could feel, hear and even see while in a vegetative state. It was just the signals that didn't make it through. I would be screeming to kill me everyday. If I get to a point that I can't take care of myself, like have someone change my diaper, feed me and stuff like that, I would like to have a legal way out. Let me kill myself or have a doc stick me with a lethal cocktale. We have more mercy towards animals than we do towards ourselves in the name of budgets and medical eticate...gimme a break. If I were to become a leech onto society were I would be more of a burdon than what I contribute...shoot me now.

I didn't need permission to attend this silly party, I'll be damned if I'm gonna get permission to leave!