Would You Support Assisted Suicide in Your State?

[cashflyer]

http://martinmanleylifeanddeath.com/
OR
http://martinmanleylifeanddeath.com.nyud.net/home_page

[Evans, Marv]

Just talked to an old H.S. friend on the phone yesterday that started me thinking about this afterwards. He just got out of the hospital after having a triple bypass and valve replacement and recuperation isn't going the best. He says he's not going to get the knee replacement because he's had it with hospitals, so he will continue to not get around very well. He's an overweight alcoholic who has to give himself insulin shots daily. Afterwards I wondered to myself, since I've always enjoyed a healthy life if I could continue if I was in his situation. I think the big worry now days is being a burden on loved ones.

[Evans, Marv]

Oh, and to the question. Yes I would support assisted suicide in my State.

[rfuerst911sc]

In my opinion Dr. Kevorkian was ahead of his time in regards to this question. If several doctors give the same opinion that there is no hope AND the person is suffering I say bring on the blue juice. We humanely put down a loving family pet but can't do the same for a family member ? Yes there is a huge difference between a pet and a human I get that but after watching both of my parents whither away to nothing on morphine from cancer there is no doubt in my mind what the answer is.

[carreradpt]

I support it absolutely. It is a very personal issue and should be your own decision to make. I watched a program a few years ago in the NW that followed a couple of folks who met the "Oregon state" requirement for assisted suicide. It was very insightful and these 2 women picked their time and place, with family and friends, in their home. I thought if I was in the same situation that is how I would do it. As I recall there were strict protocols in place; had to be a state resident for the past year, 6 months or less to live, 2 docs buying in, being of sound mind, etc.

[timchar]

I'm all for it....we are more humane with our animals. I've been at the bedside of 3 people that passed from cancer. That last few weeks were brutal, the last days and hours are heart wrenching. Got to be a better way. Tim

[Don Ro]

My BIL died of kidney failure after months and months of withering away.
They brought a specail floating bed into the house/living room on which he eventually passed.
His son, in his mid twenties, was so frightened by his father's appearance that he did not visit him during the last month.
The whole deal was ugly.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Definitely. There are too many people languishing on terminally with lousy quality of life who are frankly consuming too many resources (health care is a resource of finite depth and a lot of these folks don't WANT to be cared for in perpetuity that way themselves anyway).

Agree 100% with us being able to treat our pets better than our own fellow humans. Most "anti suicide" laws are rooted in religious dogma anyway which (IMHO) invalidates them. If a person is terminal or suffering or just is in a situation where their quality or life is lousy and not going to improve and wants out, why should we (religion) demand that they linger on in misery? The whole system and mindset of it is stupid and it's time to seriously rethink the value of life and the relationship between quality of life and quantity of life.

I recently had a co-worker commit suicide (he was 67, three months from retirement and got diagnosed with colon cancer and went over the edge). The sad part (and this underscores the stupidity of our current laws) is that his family ends up losing. No insurance payout, no pension (suicide is disqualifying), nothing. They're going to get whipped in probate and will likely lose their home covering his estate and funerary costs.

We need to really rethink this stuff. Simply imposing a blanket rule of "suicide is always wrong" simply because of some outdated religious ideology that says so because "only God has the right to decide when you die, not you" is ridiculous. That's where this whole debate comes from (it shouldn't even be a debate) and it's just one more reason why religion shouldn't dictate laws or policymaking.

[motion]

About 15 years ago, I lost a very good friend to leukemia. He was a bit older than I, and he and his wife were my son's god parents. At the age of 50 or so, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He battled it for a year or so, mostly spending his time in hospitals in SoCal. I visited a few times, but it was very hard for me. I knew where things would end up, and because of my fears of death, it was very upsetting for me. I did my best to show John and his wife that I was there for them, by visiting and telephone calls, but it was not easy. John ended up giving up the fight, and spent the last few months in a nursing bed in his living room, to be around his family. Once, near the end, I visited and John begged me to help him leave the world. Of course, there was nothing I could do, legally, and it was a heart-wrenching experience. He was in so much pain, and the morphine only helped so much. It is just insane that suffering people cannot get help for their situation, and are forced to have such a poor quality of life in their final days. Is the U.S. alone in this stance?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Many think of death as an ending. It's not really, for anyone, you, or your loved ones who will always have memories.

Death is the beginning of a new adventure. I don't welcome it, but in the case of assisted suicide for medical reasons, it's an important option for maintaining your dignity as you move on to what's next.

[mikesride]

Somebody posted the link to this already http://martinmanleylifeanddeath.com/
strange site and storey for sure, but I say its your choice, go when you want to go! I say it beets the heck outta living in pain for the last 10 years of your life.

[tweezers74]

Originally Posted by motion

About 15 years ago, I lost a very good friend to leukemia. He was a bit older than I, and he and his wife were my son's god parents. At the age of 50 or so, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He battled it for a year. Once, near the end, I visited and John begged me to help him leave the world. Of course, there was nothing I could do, legally, and it was a heart-wrenching experience. He was in so much pain, and the morphine only helped so much. It is just insane that suffering people cannot get help for their situation, and are forced to have such a poor quality of life in their final days. Is the U.S. alone in this stance?

This saddens me to hear this. How long ago was this and was he on hospice? If he was, it makes me even more saddened. There are so many other options for pain control than just morphine now. If one doesn't help, there are others. And dependent on the pain, different delivery methods that are more effective. I have taken so many pain management classes that it angers me to hear a patient that does not have adequate pain relief.

[flatbutt]

Having been blessed with a nearly full recovery from paralysis I absolutely support assisted suicide.

[Oh Haha]

yes

[pete3799]

I support it.
Just recently passed into law here.
When the time comes..... pass me the cool-aid.

[Jim Bremner]

[dewolf]

Originally Posted by Danimal16

I think this is a very personal, religious and moral topic. But it is very private. Though I would not share my opinion on this in public, I certainly understand why folks choose this.

It's only religious if you are religious. I'm not, so why would it be a religious issue to me? After watching my both my parents sufffer in the last days of cancer I would have gladly 'put them to sleep' and they would have given me their blessing for being so courageous to do so. We treat animals better in their final stages of life.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

Many think of death as an ending. It's not really, for anyone, you, or your loved ones who will always have memories.

Death is the beginning of a new adventure. I don't welcome it, but in the case of assisted suicide for medical reasons, it's an important option for maintaining your dignity as you move on to what's next.

on the evidence, its pretty much the end.

[ckelly78z]

Don't worry about languishing around, while withering away in a hospital any longer. Obamacare will have a death board that will make the decision for you fairly soon.

I do support assisted suicide, and thought Dr. Kevorkian did valuable work.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

It's not sustainable NOW and the bulk of the Baby Boomers is still 10-or-so years away from their "critical care" years, just hitting retirement now. Why do you think SS, Medicare & Medicaid are so screwed? Why do you think many state and municipal governments are screwed (unfunded pension obligations AND in many cases unfunded lifetime health insurance payment obligations)? It's a gigantic mess. The Baby Boomers built an empire of illusory prosperity to be paid for by the assumption of ever-accelerating population and economic growth. Well we all know that's not going to happen so what's the end result?

The end result is we're all going to be paying (and paying, and paying, and paying) for the care of them as they age and require (and demand) more and more expensive heroic care measures. There will inevitably be demand for fewer of us to do (and pay for) more. There's opportunity here, but it's also a tremendous burden. A change in attitude towards quality of life / assisted suicide would not only be compassionate and humanitarian, it would help us survive and manage this resource situation more easily. Nobody's saying lets go Soylent Green on grandma, but if grandma is clearly at the end of life with no quality of life remaining and just being a burden to those she loves and is leaving behind, why shouldn't we be allowed to help her when she decides enough is enough?

We really need to confront this issue and the fact that religion has absolutely NO monopoly on morality and shouldn't have influence over policy either.