Terminally ill 29-year-old woman plans to take her own life on Nov. 1

[Sal]

I think (JMHO) that this is a matter that needs to be decided on a case by case basis. I'd hate to see a carte blanch law allowing anyone to be able to get assisted suicide just because he/she wakes up on a given morning and decide it's the thing to do. Undoubted there are many sick rich people that other people would just love to give them a "nudge".-

I don't think we have the time to decide on a case by case basis do we? Don't forget, this person is terminal. Who is going to decide? When someone is terminal why should they have to wait while a group of bureaucrats decide on their fate? It is their body, their disease, their life...why does someone else get to say, NO, you aren't dying until you are beyond screaming agony, no longer have your senses and your disease kills you. Who gets to say that? And why do they get to say that? And why are we allowing it to be that way?

Also, this is not suicide. They are dying already faster than than most.

No one is talking about having it that open. This is for those who are already terminal and in pain, not someone who woke up and thought "f**k it."

Although I have to say WLDB, my views on that have also altered since the Robin Williams suicide and a discussion on a forum where a lot of well informed debate took place. Gave me an entirely different perspective on that too.

You have absolutely no clue how reincarnation works do you? There is no definite timeline and no guarantee you will come back as a human.

or at all

 

[taxslave]

I don't think anyone else has either! -

Talk to someone that does regressions.
I went from nonbeliever to sceptic.

 

[WLDB]

Although I have to say WLDB, my views on that have also altered since the Robin Williams suicide and a discussion on a forum where a lot of well informed debate took place. Gave me an entirely different perspective on that too.

If Im not mistaken there was more than just depression at play with him.

I don't think we have the time to decide on a case by case basis do we? Don't forget, this person is terminal. Who is going to decide? When someone is terminal why should they have to wait while a group of bureaucrats decide on their fate? It is their body, their disease, their life...why does someone else get to say, NO, you aren't dying until you are beyond screaming agony, no longer have your senses and your disease kills you. Who gets to say that? And why do they get to say that? And why are we allowing it to be that way?

While at the same time you do have to make sure this person isnt being forced into it and it is their own decision.

or at all

I think Id be disappointed if I 'came back' at all. If I dont remember whatever came before I guess it makes no difference.

 

[JLM]

I don't think we have the time to decide on a case by case basis do we? Don't forget, this person is terminal. Who is going to decide? When someone is terminal why should they have to wait while a group of bureaucrats decide on their fate? It is their body, their disease, their life...why does someone else get to say, NO, you aren't dying until you are beyond screaming agony, no longer have your senses and your disease kills you. Who gets to say that? And why do they get to say that? And why are we allowing it to be that way?

I do believe they could pass a law to move things along a bit. If the person is say over 80 and multiple organs are shutting down and there is absolutely no chance for a viable life and they are intense pain, then why not? Not only would it save unnecessary suffering but it would reroute dollars that could be used to help the living.

While at the same time you do have to make sure this person isnt being forced into it and it is their own decision.

Well that's just it, you don't want some young greedy brat giving Granny a "nudge" because her arthritis is acting up.

 

[Sal]

If Im not mistaken there was more than just depression at play with him.

Parkinson's was going to alter his life, yes. There were other factors. However much of the discussion was around the level of suffering caused by deep mental illness. I had never been exposed to the type of calm rational debate that took place regarding their right to choose death as well.

While at the same time you do have to make sure this person isn't being forced into it and it is their own decision.

That is true. And I have no doubt it does happen already and that assistance could mean a few people reaching their demise a little more speedily. But I do believe that already happens. I do not believe that a fear that someone will knock off their rich spouse or auntie should prevent me from choosing to die peacefully when I want to go.

I think Id be disappointed if I 'came back' at all. If I dont remember whatever came before I guess it makes no difference.

no worries you look after all of that before you land... ;-)

I do believe they could pass a law to move things along a bit. If the person is say over 80 and multiple organs are shutting down and there is absolutely no chance for a viable life and they are intense pain, then why not? Not only would it save unnecessary suffering but it would reroute dollars that could be used to help the living.

you can't place an age on it. There have to be a set of qualifiers.

Well that's just it, you don't want some young greedy brat giving Granny a "nudge" because her arthritis is acting up

.
This is taken care of by a set of qualifiers. Granny would not be in that qualifying group UNLESS she chose to be.

 

[WLDB]

Well that's just it, you don't want some young greedy brat giving Granny a "nudge" because her arthritis is acting up.

Then to find out he wasnt in the will.

I do believe they could pass a law to move things along a bit. If the person is say over 80 and multiple organs are shutting down and there is absolutely no chance for a viable life and they are intense pain, then why not? Not only would it save unnecessary suffering but it would reroute dollars that could be used to help the living.

80? You know, you can get a terminal illness at any age.

 

[Walter]

Can you expand on that a bit Walter?
For instance, what would you define as involved? Would having knowledge of their intention and choosing to be present be involved?

Does that also include medical personal? Cocktails given to cancer patients that slow everything down to the point where the heart stops is done daily. Many do that already in the very last stages, so in your world is that wrong?

She wants to involve a doctor, that's called "assisted" suicide. Any doctor who's taken the oath should not prescribe in this situation. "Above all do no harm"

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

She wants to involve a doctor, that's called "assisted" suicide. Any doctor who's taken the oath should not prescribe in this situation. "Above all do no harm"

I guess it depends on what the definition of harm is. Is letting somebody suffer harm?

 

[Sal]

She wants to involve a doctor, that's called "assisted" suicide. Any doctor who's taken the oath should not prescribe in this situation. "Above all do no harm"

Yes in the State in which she now resides she will have assisted death.

Doctors are no longer required to take an oath BUT that is secondary to my question on "Above all do no harm".

How do you view leaving someone to the point where they are in screaming agony, or choking on their own sputum? Is that not allowing harm/suffering that they could prevent?

How in your opinion could we avoid that, or is that in your opinion not to be avoided?

 

[WLDB]

She wants to involve a doctor, that's called "assisted" suicide. Any doctor who's taken the oath should not prescribe in this situation. "Above all do no harm"

Keeping a person alive in pain against their will is doing more harm than ending it.

 

[JLM]

Then to find out he wasnt in the will.



80? You know, you can get a terminal illness at any age.

It depends on the person. Check out Richard Block, he lived for about 25 years after being diagnosed with a terminal illness and there are lots beside him who have lived 10 or more years. My Dad at one point was given a year and lasted for 5.

 

[WLDB]

It depends on the person. Check out Richard Block, he lived for about 25 years after being diagnosed with a terminal illness and there are lots beside him who have lived 10 or more years. My Dad at one point was given a year and lasted for 5.

And Stephen Hawking is going on 50 years. If people want to go that route they are free to do so. If they want to check out they should be allowed to. Either way, its a personal choice. Personally I dont think Id want the kind of life he has in that body, he does. To each their own.

 

[JLM]

And Stephen Hawking is going on 50 years. If people want to go that route they are free to do so. If they want to check out they should be allowed to. Either way, its a personal choice. Personally I dont think Id want the kind of life he has in that body, he does. To each their own.

Yep, while people diagnosed with A.L.S. generally succumb in under 5 years, but it's not carved in stone. I had several relatives with it that went pretty fast. I believe there are different forms of the disease. Besides Hawking I believe there are a couple who have lasted 20 years. It's a charity I donate a couple of bucks to as I lost a dear cousin to it about 3 years ago. She was about 75.

 

[Praxius]

And they should not involve someone else in offing themselves.

They didn't specify anybody in particular, thus they involved no one. At the same time, she and others like her shouldn't be hidden away in some hole somewhere where nobody can hear from them and where they can't express their own views and opinions simply because you don't like them or find them uncomfortable.

She has expressed what she is doing, she and others like her have explained the reasons why they are doing what they are doing (reasons, restrictions, the difficulties involved, etc.) and are merely letting others in similar situations who feel the same way as they do know that there are alternatives.... or at least, there should be alternatives.

With that same mentality, gay people should have just kept their mouths shut all these years and never tried to express themselves in order to help support and help those like them.

If you have such an issue with people like her shining a light on alternatives to long term, terminal suffering to an inevitable death, then I guess the same should also apply to all the religious nut jobs in the world and they should all just shut the hell up, stop recruiting people into their backwards ghost worshiping and tear down all their over glorified religious buildings used for brainwashing & propaganda.

I mean, how dare anybody on this planet let others know of alternatives and different things in the world that you don't like. :roll:

 

[SLM]

With that same mentality, gay people should have just kept their mouths shut all these years and never tried to express themselves in order to help support and help those like them.

Lol. Now you realize who you're talking to right?

 

[Praxius]

She wants to involve a doctor, that's called "assisted" suicide. Any doctor who's taken the oath should not prescribe in this situation. "Above all do no harm"

The harm already exists.... To do nothing is to do harm as it only prolongs the suffering and agony (which only gets worse) of your patient that you already know full well is going to die from their illness.

Field Medics in wars have done this countless times to mortally wounded soldiers on the battlefield, usually overdosing them with morphine so they didn't have to continue to suffer.

If you have a pet, farm animal or wild animal that is seriously injured, people don't think twice about putting them out of their misery.... yet when it comes to our fellow humans, suddenly we should just step away, leave them alone and watch them slowly die as they suffer in agony and rot away.

How noble.

 

[bluebyrd35]

And they should not involve someone else in offing themselves.

Oddly enough we treat our animals much more sympathetically than we treat our fellow humans. We put animals to death painlessly when they are suffering intolerably and we feel guilty about allowing them to suffer It is almost as though we feel those of our own species deserve to suffer. Are we that petty that we hate more than we love, even in the face of death.


We need to at least offer the same options for those who are capable of making their own decisions, before they are unable to.

 

[Twila]

If you have such an issue with people like her shining a light on alternatives to long term, terminal suffering to an inevitable death, then I guess the same should also apply to all the religious nut jobs in the world and they should all just shut the hell up, stop recruiting people into their backwards ghost worshiping and tear down all their over glorified religious buildings used for brainwashing & propaganda.

I mean, how dare anybody on this planet let others know of alternatives and different things in the world that you don't like. :roll:

Church s l u t s...has a weird ring...but seems to fit.

 

[damngrumpy]

It should be a matter of choice just like abortion is for women who don't want to
have a child just to satisfy the State and the churches. It is time to step past the
bonds of religion anyway. And before someone jumps up and screams non
believer, I am not I just don't have proof of what the truth is.
Oh its terrible she is going out to avoid pain ta ta. Well some don't do pain well
and chose to leave. Its like saying lets have a war so old guys can die in glory.
Nothing glorifying dying in war as there is no glory dying in pain for pains sake.

 

[JLM]

Oddly enough we treat our animals much more sympathetically than we treat our fellow humans. We put animals to death painlessly when they are suffering intolerably and we feel guilty about allowing them to suffer It is almost as though we feel those of our own species deserve to suffer. Are we that petty that we hate more than we love, even in the face of death.


We need to at least offer the same options for those who are capable of making their own decisions, before they are unable to.

Should excruciating pain be the criteria for "pulling the plug" on someone? When I was 9 years old I broke my femur. It broke on an angle and the bone slipped back over itself 2". I was in excruciating pain for four days and just prayed that I would die. Sixty years later I'm kind of glad I didn't.