I'm for self determination. I don't get why there is so much intervention in suicide.

 

 

Sometimes people attempt suicide and don't realize there are other paths. I believe in life. I don't believe in preventing people who have exhausted all their options and really want to go but the first timers should at least think twice. 

The problem with this is these programs start to include more and more types of illnesses and soon someone other than the patient is making the decisions and its done in the name of saving money, ironically by the same people who love spending other peoples money. Recent cases include the spouse wanting to die with the love one who had the medical condition as well as twins who wanted to go together. Its a big can of worms started by well meaning people with good intentions, like the founders of communism. Lets stick to tall bridges folks, ok?

There's certainly a slippery slope aspect to this practice. 

 

Another reason to be wary is that it's an issue near and dear to the kooky left, like abortion, rabid environmentalism, and income redistribution. 

 

So no, I don't blame this woman one iota, but yes there are ethical and logistic considerations.

Sometimes people attempt suicide and don't realize there are other paths. I believe in life. I don't believe in preventing people who have exhausted all their options and really want to go but the first timers should at least think twice. 

 

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating the taking of one's own life for any other purpose, other than the "diagnosed terminal illness with no hope of recovery" scenario.  Even people who have severe physical disabilities (i.e. quadriplegic, etc.), still find ways to survive and be productive. Some of those cases are awe inspiring. As long as there's a fighting chance, I say fight. When it's clear that there isn't said chance, anymore, and that one is only prolonging a very short, defined "inevitable," involving significant pain and suffering, then this option should be available.

As others have said, totally agree.

 

I do not agree that you should have to be terminal, etc.

 

This really feeds into the notion that we are all special snowflakes and the world would be so much worse without our unique and wonderful presence.

 

Our lives are a blink. If you decide yours should be half a blink, so be it. I am not your judge and neither should anyone else be.

 

The notion of protecting someone from themselves is alien to me. We are each, ultimately, only responsible to and for ourselves.

 

But I am in the minority in that thought process.

 

Ah well.

Exactly this.

 

The notion of protecting someone from themselves is alien to me.  We are each, ultimately, only responsible to and for ourselves.

 

But I am in the minority in that thought process.

 

Ah well.

 

I would agree, with one exception.... if you still have dependent children (i.e. "under 18"), you're also responsible for them.

You are responsible for your wife kids, and maybe close family.

You are responsible for your wife kids, and maybe close family.

 

Fair enough.... "Nuclear" family, then.

Many are taught to value life.

 

I can value it without believing that I have a right to dictate to others how they use that life so long as their choices do not directly impact my life. 

This is a very complicated issue. People commit suicide all the time. For every brain tumor patient who's about to lose all her faculties and wants to end it there are probably 10 very sad people who just end it. Robin Williams, e.g. There's a lot of spillover from one side to the other. More than you think. A dear friend who died last month needed all kinds of psycho drugs just to keep him from freaking out because he was dying. Very complicated issue.