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Permalink Reply by Snowcrash on February 20, 2011 at 7:02am

Here in the Netherlands we have had this law for a few decades now, and if i ever get told i have a terminal illness that will kill me, i will sign the document for physician-assisted suicide.

After seeing my dad die from his cancer 3 years ago after a protracted and terrible agonizing sickbed, i told myself i'm not going through such an absolute hell.

 

I'm glad i do not live in a place where  physician-assisted suicide is not possible.

Who are they to decide for me what i can or cannot do, they don't get to decide how i live my life or indeed how i wish to end it.

I do hope for everyone in the U.S. that the Government there eventually evolves to a more humane society then it's now the case.

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Permalink Reply by Gregor Basić on February 20, 2011 at 7:36am

I see suicide as a beautiful thing because that is the point of ultimate human freedom, to take his own life, and the biggest mercy is to help someone achieve this.

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Permalink Reply by William C. Walker on February 20, 2011 at 9:55am

Spot on, M. I had a dear friend age 71, diagnosed with inoperable brain tumor. She was a brilliant lady, in great pain. She overdosed on sleeping pills. America needs 100 Dr. Jack Kevorkians.  The gov't should encourage doctors to help us terminate our lives under those conditions, not criminalize it. I'm 85, & OK for now, but feel I have the RIGHT to die when I choose.

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Permalink Reply by M on February 20, 2011 at 11:40am

Yes, you do!

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Permalink Reply by Kai on February 20, 2011 at 11:44am

Ahh yes. It's always interesting (and infuriating) to watch people, who otherwise wouldn't have given two craps about your life, suddenly jump in, in the final stages, to tell you that they know better.

 

They have no right to make any of the other decisions in your life. So why the hell should they have the right to make the final one? All decided by some stranger because they picked some random sentences from a dusty old book of fairy tales.

 

I'm sure they wouldn't be particularly happy if someone started making their life choices for them. What job they had, who they married and where they lived. 

 

sorry, stuff like this tends to make me ramble without any specific point. It's just wrong.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by M on February 20, 2011 at 11:44am

I posted this article on Facebook, and my husband's very Christian aunt replied:

"why is it that todays society thinks "we deserve" our rights. Our forefathers paid with their precious blood!... what have we paid? Sufferring is part of life! The government does NOT make you keep drinking or eating, so if YOU think it's time to go... just shut your mouth. Simple! ...or is it ?"

Seriously?  Does she prefer someone else tell her what to do with her own body because her generation didn't fight hard enough in a war?  Or is she talking about Jesus (that's my guess)?  And obviously, she's totally ignorant if she thinks the government can't keep you alive if they want to.  I replied to her that she could shut her mouth if she wanted to, and then her loving family could have a feeding tube put directly into her stomach from the outside and there's often little she can do about it.  This is why America continues to remain so damn backward.  I need to ask her if she votes...

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Permalink Reply by Kai on February 20, 2011 at 12:08pm

ahh yes. the word "rights".

 

You have "rights" so they can't raise your taxes or take your guns away. You have "rights" so they can't make a law keeping religion out of state schools and out of the courthouses. You have "rights" so the government can't encroach on your personal life and tell you what to do. All fine i suppose, depending on your political leanings etc...

 

But as soon as it's something "God" has an apparent opinion on and they don't agree with you, and you have not earned the "right" to decide when your life is over, that is God's choice (as facilitated by the US government, whom we petitioned to have the feeding tube kept in) these backflips are a part of american life. Idealogical backflips are something many people do. But it seems to have become an ingrained part of the culture in the USA.

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Permalink Reply by Laura Jones on February 20, 2011 at 12:49pm

Everyone should have an advance directive or "living will" so you can make your wishes known in case you are unable to communicate due to illness or accident.  I personally don't want to be kept alive on a respirator with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube to force nutrients into my body.  And I don't want my family to have to deal with any guilt over decisions to let me die.  

 

Laws vary from state to state, but forms are readily available for advance directives online.  Make sure your primary care physician (if you're lucky enough to have one) and someone you trust have copies in case worse comes to worst.  While assisted suicide may not be an option for many, this does provide you with a some control over medical decisions.  Of course, adding a DNR (do not resuscitate) tattoo over your sternum may not be a bad idea either. 

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Permalink Reply by William C. Walker on February 20, 2011 at 2:10pm

Hi Laura, I don't fancy tattoos, but if I believed that would ''prevail', I'd be willing to reconsider -  having one that said : do not resuscitate inscribed on me. I do have a living will on this & have a signed one with my Dr. & the V.A.  Hopefully, this will be respected.

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Permalink Reply by Steve M on February 20, 2011 at 5:17pm

They need guns in case they are in pain at the end of THEIR lives they can just shoot themselves in the head. As many do.

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Permalink Reply by Radu Andreiu on February 20, 2011 at 3:32pm

People have really few problems of their own if they are preoccupied with the problems of others, if you ask me.

And how primitive we must be that this is even an issue, let alone a felony. Blessed be Jack Kevorkian and his god, J.S. Bach, for one made life better, while the other made death better!

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Permalink Reply by Reg The Fronkey Farmer on February 20, 2011 at 4:44pm

I was going to post something earlier but was too angry to do so. It is more than just another case of religion interfering in state politics. This could criminalise otherwise law abiding citizens and even see them locked up. All for acting in a gentle and caring manner in helping somebody they have probably loved most of their life escape from a living hell.

These zealots give the ideals of Christianity a bad name. Okay, I will rephrase that sentence. These zealots have a mind set from the dark ages and they are not real Christians. They should all spend a year working in a hospice for the terminally ill and then they could suggest changes to the law based on real life experience and not poorly interpreted scripture. I would suggest part of the problem is that they have never watched somebody spend a few years dying in discomfort, without respite from pain, without any hope of recovery.

They quoted the bible to the Senate State Affairs Committee and it is now going to the full Senate with a recommendation that it is passed. WTF! The leader of the lobbyist is called “Ripley” believe it or not. I find it difficult to.

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