FINALLY! Some sense in this country!

A judge in New Mexico has cleared the path for assisted suicide!

www.cnn.com...

Dr. Kavorkian, where you at?

reply to post by Adramelech



You aren't rushing out to sign up, are you??

reply to post by madmac5150


Not yet. Only if my quality of life simply blows, medically speaking. I've always thought it seemed absurd that a governing body has the say on someone's choice to live or die.

Everybody over the age of 18 should have this right REGARDLESS of the reason why. As long as they are of mature age and sound mind.... I have no problem with it and I am not sure why others should either.

The government shouldn't have to *give* you the right to end something that they did not create IMO. It should be a given. Nobody should have to ask permission. One might argue if it the right thing to do all day long, but we shouldn't be asking IF we have the right to do it.

Having the right and it being right are two different issues.

I hope it passes.

While I support this some are going to argue that a person who wishes to end their life is not functioning in a mentally healthy way.

From the way CNN titled the article "New Mexico doctors can help terminal patients die, judge says" that would pretty much cover everyone wouldn't it? No one gets out alive and we're all basically terminal to a greater or lesser degree.

Adramelech
Dr. Kavorkian, where you at?

Funny. I met him once in an airport (after all that). He was a really nice guy and very happy I didn't draw attention to him.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


I guess there's a lot of dependent people in society that should be "suicided" - there's the disabled, the mentally ill, the elderly -

Pick your favorite group to be "suicided".

There's a lot of unwanted babies out there - maybe they would be good to eat too.

reply to post by Happy1


because ending someone's pain by their own consent, makes people baby eaters? well done. im sure people are going to back the words you've chosen!
/sarcasm

Happy1
reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

 

I guess there's a lot of dependent people in society that should be "suicided" - there's the disabled, the mentally ill, the elderly -

Pick your favorite group to be "suicided".

There's a lot of unwanted babies out there - maybe they would be good to eat too.

Suicided??? I don't think we are talking about the same "suicide". My definition has you taking your own life.... not really someone else doing it for you. It's been a while since I looked it up though.

And equating unwanted babies and the eating of them with suicide???? That doesn't even remotely qualify as intelligent discussion and isn't worth the amount of time you took to type it out.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


my train of thought exactly! i mean why is this guy trying to relate abortions and assisted suicides, by making a comment about eating babies?!

its not like we dont all see exactly what happy1 is doing...

if this reply is somehow off base in his or her opinion, id love to hear an explanation or clarification, as to this attempted ruse from the person who posted it.

so if happy has anything to say after comparing the topic of this thread to, "baby eating", please... id love to hear it.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


yeah I dunno. not everyone.
looking at the punk/emo kids around the city wagging school or out of work on youth allowance.. i wouldn't want them to have the decision available.

keep it for critically sick people who have no chance of recovery and extended suffering.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


yeah I dunno. not everyone.
looking at the punk/emo kids around the city wagging school or out of work on youth allowance.. i wouldn't want them to have the decision available.

keep it for critically sick people who have no chance of recovery and extended suffering.

Agit8dChop
reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

 

yeah I dunno. not everyone.
looking at the punk/emo kids around the city wagging school or out of work on youth allowance.. i wouldn't want them to have the decision available.

keep it for critically sick people who have no chance of recovery and extended suffering.

I can kind of understand that line of thinking, but I really don't believe folks are just going to flock to doctors that would provide the "assistance". I think the folks that really want to do it, will do it regardless of assistance or not, as has always been the case. This just offers a less painful, more peaceful way to do it and I have a hard time finding an argument against that.

I do not condone suicide myself but I don't have to. It is up to the individual. Some people may make snap judgments in situations of great emotional turmoil and make the decision in haste to end it all, but that happens even now.... without help. If anything a person may have to wait longer to "die" because I doubt doctors would start remaining open 24 hours a day just to assist anybody that walked through the door with their suicide in under 15 minutes.

I imagine there would be some doctor/patient counselling along with a ton of paperwork and that takes way more time than it does to retrieve the gun or bottle of pills from the spare bedroom. Time to think on it for just a little while longer.

I have a really hard time thinking that I know someone better than they know themselves and by that measure I can not judge when they feel like they have had more of this life than they can handle. I do not have to live in their mind and should not be able to tell them when I THINK they have had enough.

My "enough" would naturally be different than your "enough".

reply to post by Happy1


According to Eddie Izzard, babies taste of chicken:



But, to sum up others responses to your statements... seriously?! Dude.............

I am of sound mind and body (for now) and I agree with the idea of assisted suicide 100%. For the physically ill with no chance of recovery. It is a hard decision but one many people will face in their lifetime.

I have 3 Major Traumatic Brain Injuries (MTBI) and several Minor (mTBI). I got them during my first few combat deployments (03-05). I had to go through therapy to learn to talk and walk again at the age of 35. My condition manifests as debilitating headaches and minor loss of motor function. I deal with it all pretty well for the most part. I hike, kayak, read, and attend college so I am still functioning as I should. However, I have three complete tears of the meninges (brain lining) that cannot be repaired and/or reversed. I will continue to have tissue necrosis at the sight of injury until such time as all function ceases.

My prognosis is a 60% chance of early onset Alzheimer's by age 45 (5 more years ) and complete dementia and a quasi-vegetative state by 55. Neither prospect I relish to say the least.

I will fight the good fight. I constantly exercise my mind to attempt to "rewire" the brain. I exercise and eat healthy to maintain the lifestyle I enjoy. I refuse to judge people (as much as possible) and I always tell people exactly how I feel. I know, and my close family knows, that I will not be here forever and I do not want to leave doubts behind.

The allowance for "assisted suicide" is a last resort or worst case scenario. It is easy to say that it is wrong and amoral. Especially when a person is not faced with the eventuality of being unable to function and simply live for years in pain fueled suffering.

Is it right for "assisted suicide" based on emotional pain? I cannot say what is right or wrong. I can only say that emotional pain (however extreme) is temporary. Happiness can be found to pull people out of despair. Never should a life be ended without attempts being exhaustively made to remedy the situation.

The act of assisted suicide will allow for goodbyes and preparation (wills, inheritance, explanations). It is a cleaner environment for the process, much better than simply finding a note and a body I would think.

Many things can change. Science and medicine can advance that would make this kind of procedure obsolete. People can beat the odds and live long productive lives with severe illnesses and conditions. But, I feel that the idea of assisted suicide with a terminal patient should always be the choice of the individual. They know what they have gone through and what they have to look forward too.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem........ but what if those problems are permanent too?