Assisted Suicide... a right?

[kiwimacahau]

Resuscitation or lack thereof is very different than suicide/murder.

It's very easy for "patient choice" to become death panels, for example Terri Schiavo, and all the elderly or incompetents being killed
for expedience in Europe.

Terry Schiavo was in a vegetative state as the autopsy proved; She had, at an earlier time, made it quite clear that she did not want extreme measures taken to keep her alive. As for the "elderly and incompetent being killed for expedience in Europe. " Proof is required.

 

[aikido7]

1. We "put down" animals for all kinds of reasons. You do not "put down" human beings.

Being human is all about empathy and wanting to relieve another’s suffering. We do indeed “put down” dogs and people. The intention is the same.

2. Really? I'm making someone live through a disease? Come off it.

I don’t think we have moral right to present OUR own discomforts to a person who is suffering.

Question for you: If a 15 year old boy is dumped by his girlfriend, and wants to kill himself - would you try to stop him? Or would you "make" him continue living?

He is not living with a disease. Or maybe he is. Lovesick, certainly.

In this case it is clearly the example of someone who feels they have run out of options. The good citizen or authority would engage in a dialogue with the boy, expose him to his real feelings and then show him there are an almost infinite array of different choices he can make for himself besides killing himself.

 

[glassjester]

Has making abortion legal had any perception value, or ramification on your attitude related to it? no. and neither for me.

Has it changed overall public attitudes toward it? Has it increased in frequency since its legalization?

You can impose the death penalty, but you cannot impose the life penalty! We have no laws allowing inflicting pain, so, if these old persons want to die, let them, with no sane recourse we do not want them killing innocent people to get the death penalty!

I am anti death penalty.
Really, this reasoning is outlandish. The new bill was not prompted by roves of terminally ill Californians purposely incurring capital punishment. Get real.

I can take the punks in the gangs,

Completely off-topic...

but I would not like it if some eighty year old person, who wants to die, upset over silly kids like you.

You wouldn't like it? So what?

What kid are you talking about?

How about if you made rational arguments instead of calling me a child? However, if personally attacking me somehow makes you more of the person you want to be, then please continue.

Now please, see I agree with you on keeping it illegal and stopping kids from taking their lives over broken hearts, but I will not support any attempt to keep and old person for ending their life because that is God's business, not the people's business.

My question remains, though, doesn't it? Why would you want to keep a heartbroken teen from killing himself?

This is where any law on suicide is worthless, and if you knew me better you might understand.

Again, faulting me with "not knowing" you? Was I supposed to know you? Come on.

If one must "know" you in order for you to effectively communicate with them, then maybe you're not communicating too clearly.


But let's stay on topic. One thing at a time. Why would you want the heartbroken teen to not commit suicide?

 

[glassjester]

Being human is all about empathy and wanting to relieve another’s suffering. We do indeed “put down” dogs and people. The intention is the same.

My goodness. You put people down? We should not treat people like dogs. End of story. Come on.

I don’t think we have moral right to present OUR own discomforts to a person who is suffering.

Nor do we have a right to kill the person.

The good citizen or authority would engage in a dialogue with the boy, expose him to his real feelings and then show him there are an almost infinite array of different choices he can make for himself besides killing himself.

And why doesn't this hold true for all people? There's any number of reasons someone may feel suicidal. The pain they experience, whether physical or psychological, may persist for days, months, years.

Might a man, upon the death of his spouse, not remain depressed for a decade? Should he kill himself?

What about an old woman with arthritis in all her joints? Her pain will be with her until the end. Should she jump off a bridge? Or simply treat the pain?

Yet a man who will suffer for less than 6 months (as defined by California's new law) can/should kill himself?

What is it that makes this last instance acceptable, morally? The length of time he has to suffer? Certainly people endure longer.

Is it because he will die soon anyway? That seems to be an argument against suicide - his pain will soon end, without suicide.

Is it the amount of pain the person is in? Again, there will always be people with worse pain than his. And treating someone's pain is always possible, without murdering them.