Assisted Suicide

[MoonlessNight]

All I have is a simple question about this. Why is it, that when assisted suicide or euthanasia is proposed, its use is limited to the terminally ill or the disabled? It it is about control over one's own life, why do we limit the option to this class of people?

 

[The Nihilist]

If I accept your premises (which I'm not sure I do), then my guess would be that there's an assumption that a life of a certain quality simply isn't worth living. For example, were I dying of stomach cancer, I think I'd prefer to go ahead and check out early.

 

[Washington]

All I have is a simple question about this. Why is it, that when assisted suicide or euthanasia is proposed, its use is limited to the terminally ill or the disabled? It it is about control over one's own life, why do we limit the option to this class of people?

Because, I think, all other cases would be viewed as treatable, which if successful would mean that the suicide was premature. People hold out hope that when something has the possibility of being improved, it will be. A suicide would permanently eliminate that possibility.

 

[MoonlessNight]

Because, I think, all other cases would be viewed as treatable, which if successful would mean that the suicide was premature. People hold out hope that when something has the possibility of being improved, it will be. A suicide would permanently eliminate that possibility.

What are your opinions on suicide motivated by disability, such as the case of Daniel James from last September (rugby player who was severely paralyzed). After all, in cases like this there is no real possibility of a cure any time soon.

 

[Washington]

What are your opinions on suicide motivated by disability, such as the case of Daniel James from last September (rugby player who was severely paralyzed). After all, in cases like this there is no real possibility of a cure any time soon.

Not knowing his particular mental state I'm not sure, but if it was chronically bad I would be for it. I can easily see someone feeling that if their future held absolutely no hope for betterment, that life as it is just isn't worth going on with. Sometimes inevitable, constant suffering just isn't worth enduring.

 

[MoonlessNight]

If I accept your premises (which I'm not sure I do), then my guess would be that there's an assumption that a life of a certain quality simply isn't worth living. For example, were I dying of stomach cancer, I think I'd prefer to go ahead and check out early.

I am trying to base my premise off of the current and various laws for asssisted suicide. There is always a restriction, and terminal illness (often with the magic "6 months to live") is always included. Disability is a bit of a more hit or miss thing, but it's definitely something that's much more widely discussed than, say, assisted suicide for people in bad economic or social situations. The general rule here is "the more severe the more likely it will be approved," particularly in the case of severe cognitive (but not necessarily life threatening) disabilities.

 

[TeddyKGB]

All I have is a simple question about this. Why is it, that when assisted suicide or euthanasia is proposed, its use is limited to the terminally ill or the disabled? It it is about control over one's own life, why do we limit the option to this class of people?

We can successfully treat some mental illnesses which have suicidal thoughts or tendencies as a symptom. Perhaps we don't have the confidence in our methodologies to determine reliably when suicidal tendencies are symptomatic of mental illness and when they are not.

Besides, why would non-disabled people need assistance to commit suicide?

 

[Joachim]

All I have is a simple question about this. Why is it, that when assisted suicide or euthanasia is proposed, its use is limited to the terminally ill or the disabled? It it is about control over one's own life, why do we limit the option to this class of people?

Euthanasia is not addressed by the U.S. Constitution. It is therefore an issue that is meant to be reserved unto the states unless they themselves reserve it to the local governments.

 

[MoonlessNight]

We can successfully treat some mental illnesses which have suicidal thoughts or tendencies as a symptom. Perhaps we don't have the confidence in our methodologies to determine reliably when suicidal tendencies are symptomatic of mental illness and when they are not.

Besides, why would non-disabled people need assistance to commit suicide?

Non-disabled people do fail in their suicide attempts. There are even people who have attempted to commit suicide several times but continuously botch it.

And besides, they usually aren't given the option of having a doctor do it for them, while for the disabled any other option that required assistance would generally be considered illegal. They couldn't get someone to shoot them, for instance, though that is a method of suicide open to most people. So at the very least the manner in which people commit suicide is not the same in terms of availibility.

 

[TeddyKGB]

Non-disabled people do fail in their suicide attempts. There are even people who have attempted to commit suicide several times but continuously botch it.

Those who fail at suicide usually employ highly fallible methods. Psychologists tend to categorize such individuals as "asking for help" rather than "trying to die."

And besides, they usually aren't given the option of having a doctor do it for them, while for the disabled any other option that required assistance would generally be considered illegal. They couldn't get someone to shoot them, for instance, though that is a method of suicide open to most people. So at the very least the manner in which people commit suicide is not the same in terms of availibility.

I imagine a bit of self-interest is at work on the part of the suicide-assistants. Suicide by head-shot would be needlessly messy.

 

[rambot]

I think it's because those people are going through physical/physiological pain that makes their life so unbearable. It's something 95% of the population could never even comprehend. And the reason it's assisted is that those people usually/often can't do it to themselves because of physical limitations.

As to why they don't "let just anyone" use it, I think that assumes that a physically capable person has the ability to kill himself/herself.

 

[MoonlessNight]

I think it's because those people are going through physical/physiological pain that makes their life so unbearable. It's something 95% of the population could never even comprehend. And the reason it's assisted is that those people usually/often can't do it to themselves because of physical limitations.

So you would say, then, that it's because in these situations life just isn't worth living?

As to why they don't "let just anyone" use it, I think that assumes that a physically capable person has the ability to kill himself/herself.

Of course, there is the issue of when a health an able-bodied person is on the brink of suicide, they have to plan out and decide on the method, factoring in things like probability of success, level of pain involved, chance of being discovered in the act, etc. A person with access to assisted suicide just has to assent to it.

Another fun game to consider is thinking of methods of suicide and considering which ones would be impossible for a disabled/terminally ill person. Clearly some of them are out of the question, but many are not except in the most extreme cases (where a person is unable to move from a bed, for instance).

 

[Garyzenuf]

So you would say, then, that it's because in these situations life just isn't worth living?

Don't you think the quality of ones existence should be left up to the person who is experiencing the ongoing pain?

*

 

[MoonlessNight]

Don't you think the quality of ones existence should be left up to the person who is experiencing the ongoing pain?

*

Actually, I do. Which is why I get worried at the number of people who see someone seriously ill or paralyzed etc. and say "I certainly wouldn't want to live like that."

 

[The Nihilist]

Can we just all agree that sepuku is the only way to go?

 

[Verv]

It isa good question as to why this is technically illegal.

However, there should be no question that morally it is abhorrent to kill oneself as it is not for us to decide (if you believe in that sort of thing), and of course, life can be improved and sadness can be treated.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Isn't "assisted suicide" just an oxymoron anyway?

It's not really self-inflicted if you had help...

as for me personally, I prefer to leave my life in God's hands.