Thread: VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA. Seeking ideas in support of the concept.

It seems to me, that anyone who would lay claim to be a writer, would be inventive enough to die so spectacularly so they can become news worthy and boost the sales of their back catalogue. Or what would be the point in dying at all?

Originally Posted by Divus

Why can’t I buy a DIY suicide pack - complete with instructions? It is my life, is it not? ... So isn’t it time the law was changed and dignified euthanasia was permitted?

There's one good reason why not.
1000s of old people with financial assets. Thousands of children (many drug affected) deciding that they can't wait another 10 or 15 years to get their hands on dear old ma's or pa's money/house/jewelry.
1000s of devoted husbands or wives, deciding that they don't wish to have their dear old partner any longer and don't wish to go halfsees in a divorce.

Can you imagine just how many people would be bumped off? It'll make the old 'send the 'insane' wife or children who won't obey me like a god to the insane asylum seem like a non-event by comparison.

Because with age there inevitably becomes a time when the loss of faculties, senses or experiences previously enjoyed in life make life uninteresting.
When pain or indignity adds to the pot and memory fades , then it is time to go and find out whether there is any truth in the concept of an after life - you never know.

What is the point of dying? Well as far as I know we all don't have much choice. It is not 'if', but 'when and how'. The 'how' is the worrying bit.

"Legal" euthanasia: There is already such a thing, though like "legal" marijuana it's not actually completely legal. There are consequences for failure, i.e., if one survives one may possibly be stuck with criminal charges, legal fees, retaliation in civil court, etc. If done correctly, however, it's about as consequence-free as smoking weed behind the movie theater.

Legal euthanasia is more properly termed "assisted suicide", as the power of choice is (supposedly) given to the subject (or whatever you call the person who wants to die); the wanting-to-die person pushes a button, pops a pill, etc., him/herself and dies by his/her own hand, regardless of how much the medical person helps set the deal up.

If a not-wanting-to-die person is pulling the switch, it's an execution or murder, of course, and if you think those distinctions are negligible or irrelevant, just ask someone awaiting execution on death row.

To make a good argument in favor of decriminalizing medically-assisted suicide, be prepared to deal with endless legal caveats, such as how the wanting-to-die person may indicate with all finality, to the satisfaction of his/her family and friends (and insurance carrier) that he/she REALLY, REALLY DOES WANT TO DIE. (As others in this topic have observed, that's the stickiest wicket of them all. No responsible physician is going to want to have a hand in something that legally iffy, if he or she wants to keep practicing, you know, REAL medicine, which is pretty much directed at keeping people alive, rather than killing them.)

Importantly, consider that if one decides to cash in one's chips in such a manner, those one has left behind may be left in some inconvenience, as no life insurance policy will pay out over a suicide. (And always remember, when mounting any argument, to keep in mind what the unemotional money-driven types will say after the emotional types stop ranting and waving their arms around.)

Again, there is not any such thing as legal euthanasia when we're talking about living human beings, unless we are discussing what to do if you find yourself a despotic totalitarian dictator over some unfortunate, helpless multitude—then, naturally, laissez les bons temps rouler! Who needs a good excuse when you can do whatever the hell you want? "It's euthanasia because I said so!" (evil laugh) "I'm being nice to them by killing them because their lives are so sh*tty!!"

Anyway, moving along: If you want to die, that's a dose you always have to take yourself. Your physician may, if he/she feels it's appropriate, give you suggestions on how your death can easily be achieved, but it's up to you to pull the trigger, run out in front of a semi truck, swallow 60 Vicodin, or whatever—again, not legal euthanasia, but assisted suicide.

If your ultimate goal, however, is completely legal euthanasia (good luck with that) it's probably best to start out with baby steps. Argue heavily for decriminalization of assisted suicide, and lightly for the other thing that you want, as not so many people will be in sympathy with the latter.

Finally, consider the agents of all this suicide or murder, whatever the emotional types want to call it—who are the doctors. Doctors start their careers wanting to make tons of money, of course, but with that they also learn the discipline of healing the sick or hurt. If assisted suicide is transformed into "legal" euthanasia, doctors will be put into the position of having to work against their training on the occasion some wanting-to-die person (or someone who wants a sick person to die and get it over with already) ends up in their office. So anyone wanting not just to decriminalize assisted suicide (a somewhat emotionally-positive cause, as it liberates the suffering), but gain full legal euthanasia (a much-less-positive, shadier-seeming cause), has a lot of arguing to think about and quite an uphill battle, human nature being what it is… er, that is, wanting to live most of the time.

I hope this is of some help. Good luck! :]

Whether you jump joyously or get dragged kicking and screaming into whatever will be the next great adventure makes no difference. You will be gone, and those who are left will carry on. Just for those last moments it would be nice to think, 'wow I'm doing this with style.'

My Memorial will say: 'Gone, but still a pain in the backside.'

Originally Posted by Scarlett_156

If assisted suicide is transformed into "legal" euthanasia, doctors will be put into the position of having to work against their training

Perhaps the Hippocratic oath, or in real terms the training given in medical schools, needs to be modified in such fashion that wannabe doctors are taught that life is NOT ALWAYS sacred.

Here in Oregon (U. S. A.) we've had a "Death With Dignity" law since about 1994 although it spent some years on judicial hiatus. You have to have two independent terminal diagnoses with a shorter than six month expiration date. You have to prove to a judge you're not crazy and persons with standing can try to contest that. You have to let therapists try to talk you out of it. You have to still want to have the judgement after a waiting period. A favorable judgement lets a physician prescribe a lethal dose and a pharmicist fill it, if they want to, none can be compelled. You have to be a 'registered' Oregon resident. I guess about 400 people have got the prescription and killed themselves under the law. Supposedly you have to take the medication yourself, without help. Fanaticism regarding the law flares up occasionally but I don't think it's endangered very much so far. Nobody but them calls it euthanasia. Two other U. S. states have similar laws.

Originally Posted by Scarlett_156

If assisted suicide is transformed into "legal" euthanasia, doctors will be put into the position of having to work against their training

We certainly do NOT want to put doctors in the position to work against their training. It's far better to allow some one who is suffering immense pain to die a slow agonizing death, should that be the case. Doctors can sleep a lot better at night knowing that they prolonged agonizing death as long as they possibly could so that their patients could savor every bit of it until they could savor it no more. Hopefully, all of you who agree will get the same preferential treatment. Falling asleep and waking up in Heaven is beneath you.