I think it's actually quite selfish of a family member to prolong your loved ones suffering. As much as you hate to see them leave (any one would feel the same) it just doesn't bode well with me that someone would let their loved ones suffer longer in a vegetative state or irradiated pain ala chemo. (sp?)
Poll: Terry Pratchet what the...
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I'll meet you halfway at 'hypothetical collateral damage'.
The current 'collateral damage' sees the majority have to suffer, so it's currently the case of the needs of the very few outweighing the needs of the many, how can that be right?
Funnily enough, the reason it's a crime to commit suicide in this country is based on archaic religious arguments, which is the same regarding gay laws in Africa.
What does that tell you?
So you agree that the current law against assisted suicide in the UK is wrong? Great stuff, we're all on the same page now
Woosh. That was you missing the point. Which is not actually suprising because you don't really have one. You have decided your position and then keep inventing even more extreme reasons as to why your position is the only correct one.
Not really all that relevant to the discussion. But I didn't really expect much relevance from you tbh.
You (and others) keep going on about how a law on assisted suicide would be impossible to implement, ignoring the fact that several countries have implemented laws on assisted suicide.
Why do you think it is right for you to force someone to live on in pain and suffering?
I think one of the biggest problems is how good our medicine is getting where we have machines that can keep people living for months even though they shouldn't be and over time our knowledge of medicine is getting better and it will get to the point where you can keep someone alive for years even though they are practically dead. Now if there was a way of curing this then fine but is it fair to keep someone under a coma for years without their consent especially as we don't understand what happens to people when they are in this state, will it feel like years to them or seconds?
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Because there's no alternative that we can think of, that wouldn't result in people killing themselves that didn't really want to .. as discussed ..
Like many others posting here I have had the misfortune to watch a loved one die, and seen the effect it has had on the family members around me.
My Grandad passed away from a cancer in the stomach which spread rapidly throughout his body. In the space of 3-4 months he was reduced from a fit and healthy, active person, to a skeletal wreck in constant pain, unable to move, let alone look after himself in any way shape or form.
Watching him die in this way also had a massive effect on my Nan, my Mother, Aunt, Sister, Cousin's and myself. All of whom are now firmly for assisted suicide, as we all knew my Grandads feelings towards it - if he had had the choice, he would never have chosen all the procedures he was put through which effectively ruined any chance of a normal end to his life, despite them having little to no chance of success. My Mum now has a "living will", to say that if she ever has an illness that reduces her quality of life, she would want us to take her wherever assisted suicide is available so that she is not a burden to those around her, and they wouldn't have to go through what we did with my Grandad again.
Assisted suicide in my opinion should be a basic human right. I genuinely do not understand why anyone would be against it.
My Grandad passed away from a cancer in the stomach which spread rapidly throughout his body. In the space of 3-4 months he was reduced from a fit and healthy, active person, to a skeletal wreck in constant pain, unable to move, let alone look after himself in any way shape or form.
Watching him die in this way also had a massive effect on my Nan, my Mother, Aunt, Sister, Cousin's and myself. All of whom are now firmly for assisted suicide, as we all knew my Grandads feelings towards it - if he had had the choice, he would never have chosen all the procedures he was put through which effectively ruined any chance of a normal end to his life, despite them having little to no chance of success. My Mum now has a "living will", to say that if she ever has an illness that reduces her quality of life, she would want us to take her wherever assisted suicide is available so that she is not a burden to those around her, and they wouldn't have to go through what we did with my Grandad again.
Assisted suicide in my opinion should be a basic human right. I genuinely do not understand why anyone would be against it.
Just because it is within the law, does not make it right( i am generally for assisted suicide, but that is not the point i'm trying to make). If the UK changed the law supporting assisted suicide, it wouldn't mean that the grey areas just disappeared because it was within the law. People would still have the same worries and feel slightly uncomfortable with some of the finer points. being against the law or not would not change peoples moral views.
I know what you are trying to say, but that argument isn't really applicable here imo.
btw, that was in direct response to the above quote, which was an answer to "There are far too many grey areas to allow this to become law.".
IMO, there should be some kind of law change, but it needs to be really carefully thought out, and airtight.
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For those against it can you please answer 2 questions:
1) If you pet had terminal cancer, the vets said there is nothing they can do, would you allow them to suffer?
2) Have you ever watched anyone die of a terminal illness, watched their suffering?
1) If you pet had terminal cancer, the vets said there is nothing they can do, would you allow them to suffer?
2) Have you ever watched anyone die of a terminal illness, watched their suffering?
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There will always be exceptions. The best we can do it make sure they are very few and far between. That doesn't mean we should avoid the whole issue though and to say that we can't guarantee 100% therefore we shouldn't allow it isn't a very realistic position.
I'm not entirely happy with the idea that you could win this argument by reducing a person's right to life that of an animal, which is what you are doing here. I'd rather someone put forward a compelling reason to increase a person's right to death.
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I think RDM's point is that other countries and make it workable and have safeguards that reassure the majority of the public, why couldn't we get to a similar position?
Terry Pratchett explained on bbc news this morning why they couldnt give him water. It would dilute the poison making his death slower and more painful or he would survive but with brain damage
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I would turn that around. I wouldn't say we were reducing a human life to that of an animal, more that we are willing to make difficult but humane decisions for animals but not for humans.
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1) No, it would cost far too much in vet's bills.
2) Yea. They wanted to live, but felt like a burden on the family so if assisted suicide was the expected 'norm' and most people chose it in their predicament, would have felt duty bound to take that option despite deep down wanting to fight to the end ...
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He had the chocolate to get rid of the taste pretty much straight after IIRC.
Utter ********.
Pretty much.
It isn't like the Swiss have started offing all and sundry.
Oh i agree that we need to change the laws in some way(i edited my post btw
) but i was trying to say that making it law would not really change the worries that people have on this issue. It is a mistake to think that because it is within the law in another country that it has made the worries go away.