Should assisted suicide be legal (for everyone)?

[PlacidCasual]

I understand what you're saying and that you don't have an issue with people having an alternate view. However, that view does impinge on other people's ability to live and die how they choose to.

I don't feel I have any right whatsoever to determine that for anyone else. At all. My conscience could not stand forcing people to suffer in pain just to satisfying the opinion of others.

It's not to satisfy my opinion, this is not a religious belief or similar.

Just in the same way I don't support the death penalty, I worry about changing the law to the benefit of some that may end up with very negative outcomes for others. This has happened in other western democracies.

I understand and respect other views and have no desire to change them, it is a matter of conscience and this where mine currently lies.

I've shared my opinion I'll probably leave it at that, I'm not trying to change anyone else's view.

 

[platinum87]

As I have said in Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands three western progressive democracies, like the UK, the law has extended in intent to the point healthy people are being euthanised in a manner I find troubling. I cannot in good conscience support it.

I agree with this point you make, but i want to ask, who is healthy that is being euthanized?

My understanding of what people want is to be able to commit suicide with assistance because they cannot do it themselves.

i.e. terminal people who cannot do anything except sit in a bed, maybe paralyzed etc.

Would you support it if the wording of said law was along the lines i have said.

I.e. If you can simply walk, you would be disqualified, because if you can walk you can easily kill yourself. If you can move your arm, you can kill yourself.

 

[adidan]

It's not to satisfy my opinion, this is not a religious belief or similar.

Just in the same way I don't support the death penalty, I worry about changing the law to the benefit of some that may end up with very negative outcomes for others. This has happened in other western democracies.

I understand and respect other views and have no desire to change them, it is a matter of conscience and this where mine currently lies.

I've shared my opinion I'll probably leave it at that, I'm not trying to change anyone else's view.

I know, it's a tricky one.

I don't support the death penalty either but I find that a different conversation altogether.

It's just when you hear of people botching suicides or others so desperate to end the pain or end the suffering before they lose their minds completely but can't fit fear of relatives being sent to prison, well, I don't feel i have any right to stop them.

I just hope if the time comes I can take myself out so neither I nor my loved ones have to suffer pointlessly.

I appreciate not everyone feels like that.

 

[413x]

The slippery slope is a tough one.
But on balance I feel it would do far more good than harm.

You'd need to have a terminal disease.
That's not too hard to "black and white".

What would be harder is "when" it's allowed to happen.

 

[Stu999]

Isle of Man to vote on assisted dying tomorrow.

Assisted Dying Bill set for critical debate in Isle of Man’s Tynwald, with two in three islanders backing law change - Dignity in Dying

Debate can be listened to here from 10am: https://www.tynwald.org.im/business

www.dignityindying.org.uk

 

[old gamer]

I would like to think that if I was suffering with a terminal illness I would be spared an agonising death and ended out of kindness

 

[Stu999]

The actress Liz Carr has an anti-assisted dying show on BBC 1 tonight at 9pm.

 

[200sols]

The actress Liz Carr has an anti-assisted dying show on BBC 1 tonight at 9pm.

She was on BBC last week, I got the impression her views are more about its affect on disabled people rather than the terminally ill and those at end of life e.g dementia but i'll watch it and see.

 

[bigmike20vt]

I just hope if the time comes I can take myself out so neither I nor my loved ones have to suffer pointlessly.

The main issue i have with that (not with you taking yourself out if you are suffering) but it is that health insurance companies will use that as a "gotcha" to get out of paying.

if a person is 100% terminally ill with weeks / days to go and all they feel is pain, it really grinds my gears that if a person took a bottlefull of sleeping pills to end peacefully, which harms no one and makes for a kinder end, i am pretty sure that a life insurance policy would cry foul and refuse to pay out.

That is wrong imo, and is where a legally supported, professionally controlled system could come into place.

I do understand your concerns however and agree it is a valid worry.

 

[adidan]

The main issue i have with that (not with you taking yourself out if you are suffering) but it is that health insurance companies will use that as a "gotcha" to get out of paying.

if a person is 100% terminally ill with weeks / days to go and all they feel is pain, it really grinds my gears that if a person took a bottlefull of sleeping pills to end peacefully, which harms no one and makes for a kinder end, i am pretty sure that a life insurance policy would cry foul and refuse to pay out.

That is wrong imo, and is where a legally supported, professionally controlled system could come into place.

I do understand your concerns however and agree it is a valid worry.

Oh it's definitely not an easy answer topic, especially when you start taking money into account.

I'll be honest, I've been talking more on principle - money doesn't matter to me in the grand scheme of life/death but I'm also not naive enough to think that it wouldn't be an issue in some cases.

We already see people squabble over inheritances, I can imagine some would see an ailing relative, their potential insurance payout and have absolutely no moral boundaries in trying to convince them to go sooner rather than later unless strict precautions are put in place.

But, still, I don't think something like this shouldn't be allowed because of the possibility of some trying to abuse the situation, so long as precautions are taken.

I can certainly understand concerns and they certainly need addressing.

 

[413x]

Oh it's definitely not an easy answer topic, especially when you start taking money into account.

I'll be honest, I've been talking more on principle - money doesn't matter to me in the grand scheme of life/death but I'm also not naive enough to think that it wouldn't be an issue in some cases.

We already see people squabble over inheritances, I can imagine some would see an ailing relative, their potential insurance payout and have absolutely no moral boundaries in trying to convince them to go sooner rather than later unless strict precautions are put in place.

But, still, I don't think something like this shouldn't be allowed because of the possibility of some trying to abuse the situation, so long as precautions are taken.

I can certainly understand concerns and they certainly need addressing.

That is grim. To think that people would heavy issues over inheritance pay outs over it.
But you're right they would.

Where's that topic on the selfishness of humans again?

 

[adidan]

That is grim. To think that people would heavy issues over inheritance pay outs over it.
But you're right they would.

Where's that topic on the selfishness of humans again?

I know, I often have to stop considering situations with respect to how I'd react.

There are some people who would spend their lives planning, scheming and squabbling over the last penny of relatives already.

I don't get it but it happens.

 

[413x]

I know, I often have to stop considering situations with respect to how I'd react.

There are some people who would spend their lives planning, scheming and squabbling over the last penny of relatives already.

I don't get it but it happens.

Its in my family.
4 years on after my grandparents have passed.

I'll be brief as I've covered it before.
4 years on.
Family that was close (ie Christmas together with everyone) to not even seeing my uncles/aunties now.
Thier estate still in hands of legal people.
Got so bad my uncle turned up at my parents house with a shot gun.
All of them are wealthy already (million pound estates or more).
Imagine what an old farm house looks like with no heating for 4 years.

Probably put me Off having kids even more seeing this unfold.

Never would I have believed what money could do to my own family. None of them can let it go. Genuinely can't see it ending.

 

[adidan]

Its in my family.
4 years on after my grandparents have passed.

I'll be brief as I've covered it before.
4 years on.
Family that was close (ie Christmas together with everyone) to not even seeing my uncles/aunties now.
Thier estate still in hands of legal people.
Got so bad my uncle turned up at my parents house with a shot gun.
All of them are wealthy already (million pound estates or more).
Imagine what an old farm house looks like with no heating for 4 years.

Probably put me Off having kids even more seeing this unfold.

Never would I have believed what money could do to my own family. None of them can let it go. Genuinely can't see it ending.

That sounds horrific, I'm sorry to hear that.

Some people seem to get so tunnel visioned that they lose sight of what is actually important. It's very sad.

 

[413x]

That sounds horrific, I'm sorry to hear that.

Some people seem to get so tunnel visioned that they lose sight of what is actually important. It's very sad.

Is about principle and not losing.
None of them need the money. So no one will give in. But someone has to for it to end.

I'm so glad I live across the other side of the country. Can't believe how they can be fighting of cash in their old age. It's gotten to the point where I think it's such a constant in their lives they've been institutionalised by it. Every phone call theres an update.

My step dad even said one time "doesn't sound like you care" when he told me they'd won a small case. No, I don't care, it's ridiculous to shred a family over money and land.
I've run out of sympathy and just ignore it and get on with my own life.

What money can do to people.. Grim. So yeah. It's a big consideration for this topic, sadly.

 

[Narj]

What money can do to people.. Grim. So yeah. It's a big consideration for this topic, sadly.

Yep one member of my family has funnelled away almost all of the cash from an estate - it's not a huge sum but still likely to get eaten up by any legal action taken. I think she knows that.

What makes it worse is witholding/stealing a share that should have gone to a siblings children now they are dead (this was stated explicitly).

It amazes me that failing to administer an estate properly as executor is a civil issue so the only people that win when challenged are the solicitors.

EDIT: removed specifics.

 

[adidan]

What money can do to people.. Grim. So yeah. It's a big consideration for this topic, sadly.

Very sad. But, even as someone in support of choice, these considerations cannot be ignored.