The right to die?

[baxter]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13523406,00.html

In the UK at the moment there is a fierce debate regarding this topic. From what I see the debate is split evenly.

The central issue is have you the right to die and have you the right to be assisted to do so.

At the moment it is against the law to assist anybody to die and is a criminal offence which can result in lengthy jail sentences. This law as driven people who believe their lives have declined so far that it is no longer worth living, going overseas. Where they are legally assisted to die.

My opinion, and it is only my opinion is that although I am now of sound mind, if my wellbeing ever disintegrated to such a level I felt it was no longer worth going on, then my choice is to have my loved ones assist me to end it all.

But to do so would result in criminal charges being brought against them.

I was going to post a poll but feel this is such a grey area, didn’t. So the reason I posted this thread is really, all be it morbid, would you put your faith in your loved ones to adhere to your wishes or would you prefer the law have them prosecuted for doing so?

 

[Raziaar]

I don't feel a human being has any 'right' to commit suicide. It's selfish, and affects many more people than just them.

I don't know how I feel in regards to medical issues and being a vegetable.

 

[baxter]

I understand exactly what you mean about the dreadful effects of suicide.

The debate in the UK is not really about this, it is about the right of terminally ill people to choose for themselves.

Your second line is exactly what this debate is about.

 

[Ren.182]

Hmmm, this is a tough one. I think i'd agree with it if the person in question had some really bad medical condition which turned them into a vegetable. And by that i mean not being able to understand/recognise loved ones and just living off a machines which keeps you alive. If that happened to me i know i'd rather be dead. Would probably be less painful for my family to see me lying there not being able to do anything or know whats going on.

I don't think i'd agree with it just because someones life is bad. i.e. their wife split up with them or they lost their job etc etc. Life has it's ups and downs just have to get over them like everyone else.

 

[Parlez]

That is just stupid people that even think about killing their selfs. I would not think that someone would get that upset then go. I know what I am going to do! I think I am going to kill myself ahhh yes what a splendid idea that is! I mean come on people how retarded could you possible be. I am not trying to offend anyone that has tried to kill themselves on here I am simply just getting a message across that I think it is just absurd to do that.

 

[VirusType2]

Hmmm, this is a tough one. I think i'd agree with it if the person in question had some really bad medical condition which turned them into a vegetable. And by that i mean not being able to understand/recognise loved ones and just living off a machines which keeps you alive. If that happened to me i know i'd rather be dead. Would probably be less painful for my family to see me lying there not being able to do anything or know whats going on.

This is exactly what I was going to say. There is much debate about this in the US as well. The way I feel, if someone you love becomes a vegetable with no chance of ever recovering, and their family can't afford to pay the medical bills and the victim's insurance doesn't cover it, then I figure - instead of "pulling the plug" I don't think they should have to do that. It should be the people who pay the bill of the life-support (the victim's medical insurance) to make that call with signed permission or whatever is necessary from the immediate family.

It's not a good idea in any other circumstance since it can become hard to determine if the victim really wanted to die or if it was a homicide. A letter saying "please kill me" isn't good evidence to prove that it was legally acceptable to kill them, meaning that blackmail, foul play, and homicide could be the true cause of death.

 

[el Chi]

I don't feel a human being has any 'right' to commit suicide. It's selfish, and affects many more people than just them.

I don't know how I feel in regards to medical issues and being a vegetable.

This is not about suicide from depression or melancholy, but from life-threatening, degenerative diseases. I would much rather know that a relative died under their own will, in a relatively good state, rather than slowly deteriorate before passing away.
My grandma developed an inoperable brain tumor - seeing her in the hospice as a shell of who she used to be was one of the hardest experiences I've ever had. Had she chosen to end it all prior to that, I would not have begrudged her in the slightest. I don't understand how anyone could.

 

[Reaktor4]

^ Agree, why the hell shouldnt someone in that situation be 'allowed' to die? Its their business, not the governments.

 

[el Chi]

I can understand the potential legal problems regarding wills etc. but the law-makers should be focussing more on ironing those issues out, rather than blocking the legalisation of euthenasia due to moral standpoints or whatever.

 

[VirusType2]

^ Agree, why the hell shouldnt someone in that situation be 'allowed' to die? Its their business, not the governments.

Not to mention it can be EXTREMELY PAINFUL for the victim. Why pay thousands of dollars per day when they have no chance to recover and are in great pain? Put them out of their misery? In military hospitals, I've seen movies where they give them a lethal dose of morphine.

 

[Raeven0]

There's no reason people in extreme pain, people with no real consciousness left, and people who will die anyway should not be allowed to opt-in to early death.

Note the use of the verb opt. The one to die should be the one making the decision. The problem appears when the dier is not available for comment.

 

[gick]

Its my body and my life and I'll end it if I want to. If I had a degenerative and terminal illness that had me in extreme pain constantly, nobody has the right to put me through that just to satisfy their own sense of morals.

 

[15357]

Its my body and my life and I'll end it if I want to. If I had a degenerative and terminal illness that had me in extreme pain constantly, nobody has the right to put me through that just to satisfy their own sense of morals.

I agree.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Hmmrgh.

I'm undecided, because I start from a default standpoint of 'why not?' and then think:

- When people kill themselves, do they really want to? Very often it's a foolish decision. Yes, I'm aware that it's two quite different situations but what I'm saying is, if someone says 'kill me' how do you know they wouldn't regret saying it later? People are fallible.

- If they're 'a vegetable', no matter what the doctors say, how do you know there's no chance of them coming back? I'm sure all Ukers here remember that documentary about the man who woke up from a 20 year coma. As far as I can tell, we don't know enough about these kinds of things, really, to ever be able to say 'they're definitely not going to wake up ever'.

 

[Mutley]

I don't feel a human being has any 'right' to commit suicide. It's selfish, and affects many more people than just them.

I don't know how I feel in regards to medical issues and being a vegetable.

*Nods*

Although someone went to court over this. She was wheelchaired disabled, horrid sick and suffering. She went to court so she could be assisted for death.

I can see loop holes around this law - as in people use it for crime then those people who are in the moment and don't think twice - stressed out people.

I wouldn't allow it.

 

[short recoil]

People should be allowed to commit suicide but they have to do it so their body dies by itself, i.e lying down and not drinking anything.

If they get up for a drink it shows they are still capable of life.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Its my body and my life and I'll end it if I want to. If I had a degenerative and terminal illness that had me in extreme pain constantly, nobody has the right to put me through that just to satisfy their own sense of morals.

Agreed.

Sulky - I'd say in the case of a coma, the person can't choose to end their own life, since they're in a coma ..