Assisted suicide: Pro or con? Should it be legal?

[prolesunited]

Topic currently on CSPAN. How do you feel about it? Callers opposed to it says God can only take life and the Bible say we should suffer. Callers supporting it say it is humane and up to the individual.

What are your thoughts?

[rooboy]

1. Depends. Who would I be helping?

Rumsfeld, Cheney, Condi...

[leftyandproud]

2. everything you do to your own body should be legal

simple as that..

drugs, prostitution, abortion, suicide..

these may not be DESIRABLE things, but it is YOUR body in the end...The state should have no authority over that.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Legal

As a Christian who once made the decision to turn off the machines for a beloved family member, I will tell you the one thought on my mind was, "God doesn't need the machines to make a miracle. If she is meant to live she will live."

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Rainbowreflect]

8. I am with you 100%.

My husband & I had to make the decision to have my sister-in-law taken off life support. It was the hardest thing we have ever done, but it was the right thing to do.
The hospital Chaplin said something I will never forget. She said that keeping her on life support was not prolonging her life, it was only prolonging her death. She was right.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. I'm so sorry you had to make that choice too *hugs*

But that Chaplain was right.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Yes.

and let Kavorkian (sp?) out of jail.

[Ganja Ninja]

5. Let's show the same compassion we show toward pets ..

for the terminally ill. It needs to be made legal.

[joshdawg]

6. Legal!!!

My body, my choice.

[LWolf]

7. Pro.

What I choose to do with my body and my life is nobody else's business.

I am allowed to choose humane euthanasia for my pets when necessary. I've done that when appropriate. My old dog, raised from a pup and beloved of all, went to his rest in my lap. The vet came out to my house on a "ranch call" so he wouldn't have to experience any stress or fear involved in driving to a medical office. He was 13, had already had hip replacement surgery, and could no longer stand up.

My great-aunt, on the other hand, lived to be 99 years and 8 months old. The last 14 years she spent bedridden. She could not get up. She was diapered, spoon-fed, and turned to prevent bed sores. In her 70s, she was a vibrant, energetic woman traveling the country and the world, living a very active involved life. In her 80s, her body failed, but modern medicine kept her alive. In her 90s, she suffered from dementia and didn't always recognize us; she was fearful and sure she was being stalked.

I do not want to spend the last 14 years of my life like that. I want the choice; when my body is failing, I'd like release from it.

[NMDemDist2]

9. couldn't say it better myself--- agreement here eom

[LittleApple81]

11. I feel the same way. n/t

[LizW]

12. Legalize it

Every adult should have the choice to decide to end his or her own suffering if terminally ill.

A person who had lost everything else should be able to leave this life from a place of strength and dignity, not from a place of fear, pain and uncertainty.

[Ripley]

13. It is called Euthanasia.

And I completely support it. In a free country it should be legal in all 50 states. A CSPAN caller gave a great quote..."The document says Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..." and if I am dying a slow horrible death I have none of those things.

This is one more clash between religion and technology. This is one more issue that the Extremists in the Religious Right will use to destroy our freedom of choice in America "The Free." They want to force their interpretation of their religious document on everyone at all times from sex to death.

Hopefully, this issues affects so many people so closely (my grandmother wasted away from pancreatic cancer forever it seemed and I know more and more people are witnessing these long drawn out deaths), they will see that it is not really the Christian-thing to do to let someone wither away to 50 lbs with tubes sticking in them like some awful pin cushion. Technology has simply allowed people to live beyond their normal life expectancy and there comes a time when they should be allowed to determine when that should stop. That's why it is called Death with Dignity.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Powerful statement

"'The document says Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...' and if I am dying a slow horrible death I have none of those things."

[Az]

14. Legalize

Its odd. The right seems to always be in a Rush to kill those that don't want to be killed but oppose the killing of those that want to die or do not even exist as entities. Odd set of priorities.

[liberalitch]

15. death with dignity!

go team....

[Ripley]

17. And another thing...

Only God can take a life? It drives me crazy that these idjits are usually the same ones for

1) the death penalty (state takes life)
2) citizens right to bear arms and use them (idjit takes life)
3) wars and invasions (soldier takes life)
4) police using lethal means on the streets (police takes life)

Oh and don't get me started on tornadoes, floods and car accidents. I suppose God just wanted that tornado to kill everyone in that town?

Why can't I, the one's whose life it actually IS, have some say about my freaking life??

[Cleita]

18. These assholes are so misguided.

We already allow this in many ways and it's the compassionate thing to do when an individual reaches the end of his/her life and there is no hope for recovery.

[Ripley]

20. It was unbelievable listening to the people calling CSPAN

today. One woman droned on in her happy voice about how awful suicide is and relayed a story about her grandfather. Everyone was there by his bedside and held his hand when he passed, it was Godly beautiful...blah blah blah.

Well you know what? My grandma was at home for 3 months dying until she was so small and couldn't eat, my parents had to put her in the ICU. It was HORRIBLE and no one could sit with her by her bedside for 6 fucking months while she wasted away with angels flying around overhead dropping flowers that lead to the pearly gates!

Sorry, I'm sick of these assholes.

[prolesunited]

35. Frankly, there's no reason

you couldn't create this situation WITH an assisted suicide. That does sound like a beautiful way to go.

You could set up the time and place and surround yourself with the people and things you love and make a peaceful exit.

[cheezus]

19. One to to look at it: equality

If I want to kill myself, I'm able bodied enough to do it. There are some people so sick they don't even have the ability to end it themselves.

[prolesunited]

21. I wonder why the Fundies are so opposed?

I know they passed a measure in Oregon sanctioning it, which Ashcroft quickly overruled.

In making the argument that it's God who decides when someone dies, hasn't man already intervened to sustain life. In the case of someone on life support, couldn't you argue that God has already "called" that person and man is interfering?

Makes me also think of the multiples that often occur with the use of fertility drugs. Many of the fundies are against selective reduction of the fetuses for to improve the outcome of the pregnancy because it is God's will for the woman to be blessed.

Well, if the woman needed to use fertility drugs, perhaps it was God's will that she didn't have children.

In any case, I don't think religious belief should form the basis of law. Why not let reason and rationality rule?

[Ripley]

26. I so agree with that line...

In any case, I don't think religious belief should form the basis of law. Why not let reason and rationality rule?

Yet that is exactly what they are trying to do in all of these issues involving technology and the human body. Stem cell research, cloning, sex changes, fertility clinics, now euthanasia. For crying out loud, some of these people are against vasectomies!

[seabeyond]

22. god can only take life, unless we want to, ergo death penalty

we put down dogs, cats and horses cause it is humane.

this is a clue in

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. the least amount of freedom one should have

is control over their own body...its my body ...how exactly is it anyone elses business?

[ibegurpard]

24. Absolutely legal!

I hope that anyone who thinks we should force terminally ill patients who wish to do otherwise to drag out a slow, painful death will have to endure the same fate themselves! :grr:

[DemExpat]

25. Withholding medical treatment is not considered assisted suicide,

or do I have this wrong?

I was under the impression that euthanesia or assisted suicide is the active use of a technique or substance to end life....

Here in The Netherlands, where euthanesia is legal but controlled, it is the active ending of life with medicines.
Ending life support is NOT considered euthanesia here, I believe. It is a totally different legal and moral category.

:shrug:


DemEx

[DemExpat]

27. .....and hospice care in the US is not considered to be

assisted suicide or euthanesia.

I took my Dad from a nursing home to die at home with Hospice care in Houston in 1997.

DemEx

[Ripley]

29. You are correct.

The law in Oregon says the doctor may prescribe the pills that will end your life, but he cannot administer them. A caller said that most people don't even go through with it. I also heard that there is a lengthy verification process. Every month or weeks or so during the end of the person's illness they have to provide written statements they still want to go through with it. Also multiple opinions by docs on illness.

Ah, the Netherlands...so Progressive. Lucky you.

[DemExpat]

32. Holland's progressiveness is slowly being eaten away, unfortunately.

Pressures of the European Union to conform, international pressures to whittle social benefits to improve competitiveness, etc. etc.

But at least there is no large Christian (or other religious) group trying to dominate policy with religious texts...

I hope it can maintain its common-sense progressiveness through the storm of globalization and change.

DemEx

[salin]

28. In favor... but recognize that there need to be some serious

caveats - it really could allow for murder for inheritance... declare the parent incompetent - have a living will in hand that was... written before the incompentency hearing... care in the facility where the adult is sent for care is less than stellar and results in health problems... enter shady doctor (they exist) that declare the situation terminal... voila a mix for murder via assisted suicide.

In general I am supportive of assisted suicide, for humane reasons. However I believe in my bones that any legislation (and I don't know the particulars of the Oregon law) has to have some serious restrictions/requirements that put up serious protections to prevent fatal abuse.

[prolesunited]

33. While I agree that careful thought

needs to go into the process of securing approval, I think legislation can be developed that protects all of the parties involved.

It certainly would open up a lot of questions and issues. What about people with disabilities? How do you protect them, particularly if they can't communicate their wishes? Also, what if someone has been suffering with lifelong mental illness? Do you let them end their anguish as well?

Perhaps we could start with the clearest cases where it would be warranted and see how that goes.

[pezcore64]

30. Well while..

I am definitely Anti Suicide, I think it should be up to the individual.

Granted most suicidal people are some of the most intelligent people, so we'd be loosing some smart people. People usually become suicidal after thinking way to much ;)

[Commendatori]

31. Legal

Religious zealots and bureaucrats have no place in the decision of whether or not to end unimaginable suffering. I can't even believe that people debate this.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

34. legal.

[SoCalDem]

36. I would call it an exit strategy..

People who are terminally ill, and in grievous pain, should have that as an option. Just having it as an option, could make the pain more bearable..

We lost a young friend to cancer a few years ago.She was just 33, and was in so much pain, but every day with her kids (3 & 7) was a bearable day, no matter how much pain she was in.. BUT..at some point, seeing their mother is such agony, really affected them. Had Karen had the option to "just sleep", she might have preferred it , for their sakes..

She died at home, and it really frightened them.. When the ambulance came , to take her to the hospital, where she was declared DOA, and then on to the mortuary, her daughter (the 3 yr old) still did not understand.. At the funeral, she told everyone, that "when Mommy came back from the hospital, and got better, they were going to Disneyland"..

Maybe Dad did not explain it to her in terms that she could understand, but I'm not sure she still understands,,

[Nikia]

37. I am going to disagree

The reason is that I feel that assisted suicide in this HMO/money driven culture will pressure people to die. Yes, people are expensive to care for when they are very sick and dying. If they would just kill themselves instead than the insurance companies wouldn't have to pay out as much money. Perhaps, insurance companies would stop paying for people with terminal conditions. Dying is the cheaper option if it is sanctioned by society. We won't even mention families who care about money more than ther family member.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. How it actually works in Oregon

1. The terminally ill person must request it. No relative or friend can request it on behalf of another person. This avoids the "murder for inheritance" scenario.

2. The requester must be certified by a team of doctors as having less than six months to live.

3. The doctor does not administer the medication, only prescribes it.

Withholding life support is a common practice, and everyone who wants that done if they are incapacitated should have a living will on file and designate a person to make their medical decisions.

When my grandmother was 100 years old, all her bodily organs started failing, and then she developed pneumonia. Her sister happened to be present when the pneumonia was diagnosed, and she begged and pleaded with my mother to authorize treatment. But even though the antibiotics cleared up the infection, my grandmother's bodily functions were still slowing down and failing. Finally my mother (her only child) talked to the gerontologist, and they agreed that the next time pneumonia struck, as it inevitably would, they would just let nature take its course.

This was not necessary. My grandmother was scheduled to be released to a nursing home the next day. In the middle of that afternoon, the nurse came in to check on her and found her dead.

Although it was sad to lose someone who had "always been there" for every other member of the extended family (literally always been there. The next oldest person was twelve years younger), it was clearly time to go, and it would have been wrong to try to keep her.

[prolesunited]

39. Thanks for providing those details

Seems quite clear and straightforward.

It really is hard to say goodbye to people we love.