• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

End of the Road - MY Choice

BDBoop

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
9,800
Reaction score
2,719
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Other
I firmly and strongly believe that we should have an inalienable right to end our life when we see fit.

I know some will view my statement as interchangeable with "woman's body, woman's right" on the abortion front. But it IS my body, my life and if my quality of life has become non-existent, then I should be able to end it, just the same as I would do for a cat or dog of mine that was suffering needlessly.

/discuss
 
Two agreemens in one day. Be still my heart.

Yes. I totally agree with you. I'm just broken-hearted that Dr. Kevorkian isn't a younger man. He gave so much to us, but he didn't quite get it finished. At least he got us this far: "It is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana and to a limited extent in Texas" Euthanasia in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's horror story after horror story about people who suffer in the last months of their lives with too little help from the medical community for pain relief since narcotics prescriptions are soooo carefully scrutinzed. If it's a choice between one dying in agony and your doctor being afraid for his medical license, you're going to die in agony.

What a crime, an absolute affront to humanity, that we aren't allowed to choose when to end our lives with a lethal injection. We administer capital punishment to horrendous people and allow them an easy exit. Us? We've just got to depend on the luck of the draw. Very very sad.
 
Two agreemens in one day. Be still my heart.

Yes. I totally agree with you. I'm just broken-hearted that Dr. Kevorkian isn't a younger man. He gave so much to us, but he didn't quite get it finished. At least he got us this far: "It is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana and to a limited extent in Texas" Euthanasia in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's horror story after horror story about people who suffer in the last months of their lives with too little help from the medical community for pain relief since narcotics prescriptions are soooo carefully scrutinzed. If it's a choice between one dying in agony and your doctor being afraid for his medical license, you're going to die in agony.

What a crime, an absolute affront to humanity, that we aren't allowed to choose when to end our lives with a lethal injection. We administer capital punishment to horrendous people and allow them an easy exit. Us? We've just got to depend on the luck of the draw. Very very sad.

Some moon must be in Uranus or something. <G>

And it's not just physical suffering I'm concerned about. My big bugaboo is my mother spending the last five years or so slowly slipping off her gourd. Well - she was insane to begin with, but she was BRILLIANT. And then she started forgetting things, and it became worse and worse ... and now she's just like a plastic doll whose heart won't quit. She doesn't recognize anybody. She's been wearing diapers for years now.

I can't tell you how badly I never want to know how that feels.
 
Some moon must be in Uranus or something. <G>

And it's not just physical suffering I'm concerned about. My big bugaboo is my mother spending the last five years or so slowly slipping off her gourd. Well - she was insane to begin with, but she was BRILLIANT. And then she started forgetting things, and it became worse and worse ... and now she's just like a plastic doll whose heart won't quit. She doesn't recognize anybody. She's been wearing diapers for years now.

I can't tell you how badly I never want to know how that feels.

I can't imagine what you and your family must go through every day. It's a tragedy. I have a Living Will, but that doesn't get the job done. If it were legal to choose to end one's life, though, my Living Will would have it in it -- and probably your mom's would, too. Such a shame.
 
Two agreemens in one day. Be still my heart.

Yes. I totally agree with you. I'm just broken-hearted that Dr. Kevorkian isn't a younger man. He gave so much to us, but he didn't quite get it finished. At least he got us this far: "It is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana and to a limited extent in Texas" Euthanasia in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's horror story after horror story about people who suffer in the last months of their lives with too little help from the medical community for pain relief since narcotics prescriptions are soooo carefully scrutinzed. If it's a choice between one dying in agony and your doctor being afraid for his medical license, you're going to die in agony.

What a crime, an absolute affront to humanity, that we aren't allowed to choose when to end our lives with a lethal injection. We administer capital punishment to horrendous people and allow them an easy exit. Us? We've just got to depend on the luck of the draw. Very very sad.

while i agree a person should be able to end their own life under certain circumstances, kervorkian was a ghoul. there are many, many doctors who quietly help patients end their own lives without publicity.
 
while i agree a person should be able to end their own life under certain circumstances, kervorkian was a ghoul. there are many, many doctors who quietly help patients end their own lives without publicity.

I cannot imagine why you would think that Dr. Kevorkian was a ghoul. He was/is a martyr in my eyes. Why do you assume that doctors quietly help patients end their own lives?
 
while i agree a person should be able to end their own life under certain circumstances, kervorkian was a ghoul. there are many, many doctors who quietly help patients end their own lives without publicity.

Is it not possible he was trying to get the issue out into the public eye?

What would the "certain circumstances" be?
 
I firmly and strongly believe that we should have an inalienable right to end our life when we see fit.

I know some will view my statement as interchangeable with "woman's body, woman's right" on the abortion front. But it IS my body, my life and if my quality of life has become non-existent, then I should be able to end it, just the same as I would do for a cat or dog of mine that was suffering needlessly.

/discuss

agreed. I watched my mother waste away and die due to alzheimers and I refuse to go out like that. I have a pact with a very good friend and if the day ever comes when he or I am senile, the other one will take him on a hunting trip and a terrible accident will occur.
 
I cannot imagine why you would think that Dr. Kevorkian was a ghoul. He was/is a martyr in my eyes. Why do you assume that doctors quietly help patients end their own lives?

i don't assume, i know. and kervorkian was a ghoul. he could have done what he did quietly, but that wasn't good enough for him.
 
agreed. I watched my mother waste away and die due to alzheimers and I refuse to go out like that. I have a pact with a very good friend and if the day ever comes when he or I am senile, the other one will take him on a hunting trip and a terrible accident will occur.

Friends such as that one are a blessing, no doubt.
 
Is it not possible he was trying to get the issue out into the public eye?

What would the "certain circumstances" be?

i feel how i feel........i couldn't stand the man, and in fact, i think he hurt the cause, which is a noble one. the fact is, every person should have a directive regarding their care. a depressed person probably should not be allowed to make that decision in a depressed state. the reason why this isn't allowed is a good one, it's a slippery slope, and everyone won't always have the best intentions. the oregon law is a good one, but wouldn't cover your situation. only mentally competent, terminally ill individuals can opt for legal suicide.

that aside, it must be heartbreaking.
 
i feel how i feel........i couldn't stand the man, and in fact, i think he hurt the cause, which is a noble one. the fact is, every person should have a directive regarding their care. a depressed person probably should not be allowed to make that decision in a depressed state. the reason why this isn't allowed is a good one, it's a slippery slope, and everyone won't always have the best intentions. the oregon law is a good one, but wouldn't cover your situation. only mentally competent, terminally ill individuals can opt for legal suicide.

that aside, it must be heartbreaking.

It is. I shall likely wind up going Oscar's route. I will NOT willingly remain alive, knowing what is coming.
 
Axiom 1 of the philosophy of liberty is that you own your life. Certainly such ownership implies the right to self-termination.
 
Suicide is an honorable death and should be respected. It is far better than dying the straw death.
 
Why can't it be the same as (again, for instance) abortion? You reach that point, you talk to somebody about your options, and then you get the magic bullet if that still feels like exactly what you want?
 
agreed. I watched my mother waste away and die due to alzheimers and I refuse to go out like that. I have a pact with a very good friend and if the day ever comes when he or I am senile, the other one will take him on a hunting trip and a terrible accident will occur.

Please come up with a better plan. I'd hate for either of you to end up in prison.
 
Please come up with a better plan. I'd hate for either of you to end up in prison.

two crazy old coots go into the woods hunting and one trips crossing a barbed wire fence and his shotgun accidentally discharges, hitting his companion in the chest. I think I'll take my chances with a jury on that one. with no witnesses, reasonable doubt is assured.
 
I have Parkinson's Disease....as far as I know, the first person in my extended family to ever get it. Average age of my ancestors to die, typically of congestive heart failure, aka old age, is mid to late 80's, so I should live that long. But I probably won't be enjoying it much.
I hope to end it all before entering the last stage of my illness. My family doesn't like that idea, so they won't be invited to the event.
It will probably still be a crime to assist another person's suicide, so I will just leave them out of it.
Wait, I just had a thought. I will leave a suicide note thanking my worst enemy for assisting me....
 
I have Parkinson's Disease....as far as I know, the first person in my extended family to ever get it. Average age of my ancestors to die, typically of congestive heart failure, aka old age, is mid to late 80's, so I should live that long. But I probably won't be enjoying it much.
I hope to end it all before entering the last stage of my illness. My family doesn't like that idea, so they won't be invited to the event.
It will probably still be a crime to assist another person's suicide, so I will just leave them out of it.
Wait, I just had a thought. I will leave a suicide note thanking my worst enemy for assisting me....

"Never hurts to have a second set of prints on a gun."
-Nelson
 
agreed. I watched my mother waste away and die due to alzheimers and I refuse to go out like that. I have a pact with a very good friend and if the day ever comes when he or I am senile, the other one will take him on a hunting trip and a terrible accident will occur.
Going hunting with a senile person? Too obvious....Only another senile person would think that would pass inspection. Now, going hunting with Dick Cheney, that could get the job done...make sure you take a lot of blood thinners the week before, so you can bleed out quickly...:2razz:
 
Think on this - one in five deaths in America occur in ICU. That is not one in five patients in ICU dying but one in five of all deaths. That is way and way above the rest of the world and suggests far, far far too many people are being admitted to ICU who cannot BE helped even with maximal medical intervention. There are reasons for this but one of the main ones are relatives.

So if you DO want to die with dignity - DISCUSS IT WITH THE FAMILY FIRST

Please
 
The reason why suicide is illegal is so that those who are trying to die out of confused reasoning (such as untreated mental illness, trauma, complicated life circumstances, etc.) will have immediate agency and intervention if their attempt fails. A lot of people who are suicidal want to die because they are wanting more life but don't know how to get it, and they feel trapped. If they make a failed attempt, then services become involved that can give them an opportunity to see new perspectives for living, and their quality of life improves. Many people who are suicidal don't remain suicidal after they get treatment and counseling.

I believe in a person's right to die if they want. Goes along with my beliefs in bodily sovereignty. They shouldn't be able to die any way they want though. Jumping in front of traffic endangers other people. Basically, anything that becomes a planned public affair is not cool. It involves everyone and people don't deserve that. Also, I would hope that anyone who is choosing to die has exercised all alternatives first, and even then, has tried to seek others they might not know about. I've noticed that a lot of people who are sad due to circumstance are sad because of lack of support or a failure of the imagination to see clear routes in life. Not their fault, just saying. Most times an outside perspective can give a person hope.
 
The problem here is what people consider suicide and the religious implications behind it.

If you are already dying or would be dead if not for a machine keeping you alive.
Unhooking that machine is not necessarily suicide, especially if there is no probability of you returning to a relatively normal life.

Now blowing your head off, when you are otherwise physically healthy, is suicide and does carry those religious penalties; if you happen to have a religion.
 
If you do not have a will, a living will, a durable healthcare POA, advance directive please go to

legalzoom.com

Place a copy of your paperwork on your refrigerator. EMT's know to look there for important paperwork such as this plus a list of your current meds, a medical history, allergies, numbers of family to call.

tmyk.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom