Assisted suicide for the terminally ill

[hoots the scoop]

Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt is urging MPs to change the law to allow people to take terminally ill patients abroad for assisted suicide.

More than 100 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for the issue to be debated.

Since Dignitas opened in 1998, more than 100 British citizens have ended their lives in Switzerland, where it is legal to aid and abet a suicide, provided it has not been carried out for a profit.

It is illegal in the UK and anyone convicted faces up to 14 years in prison.

Original story in context here

Should terminally ill adults be allowed to decide if they want to die and have someone assist them without fear of prosecution?
Would you like to have the choice to choose how and when you die if you were terminally ill?
Would you like your family members have the choice to end their life with dignity?
Do you think you could help a close friend or family member end their life if they asked?

What do you think?

[LANDROVER ROGER]

Many years ago when I was 18 years old I watched my Father deteriorate from a superbly fit ex-army boxing champion to skin and bone within a short period of time.He died of lung cancer,gasping for breath until the very last.I firmly believe the choice should be down to the individual and assistance to die with dignity should not be criminalised.

[ionnsaigh]

Absolutely.

[petewick]

Agreed!

[bill]

Should terminally ill adults be allowed to decide if they want to die and have someone assist them without fear of prosecution?
Would you like to have the choice to choose how and when you die if you were terminally ill?
Would you like your family members have the choice to end their life with dignity?
Do you think you could help a close friend or family member end their life if they asked?

What do you think?

A resounding YES to all.

Death with Dignity

[£3.73]

I have to agree.

For a mentally balanced, otherwise sane individual ... to overide the most basic & primeval survival mechanism in the human body (the will to live) ... and depart this life with some dignity ... should be a matter of individual conscience.

I understand it's a legal & ethical minefield.

[£3.73]

A quick aside, I don't know if this deserves a topic on it's own, or if it fits here.

I don't watch much tv.

I was astounded to come across this fairly recent broadcast. Horizon has always been a favourite program of mine.
However, having looked at the comments of viewers, I feel that everyone has missed the obvious point.

In a country that doesn't support state assisted death, WHY would someone like Michael Portillo even be looking for "a perfect & humane" method. The more I think about it, especially the conclusion, the more it appear to be one of the most deeply troubling tv programs I've ever seen.

Part 1/5

Part 2/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qK89oH ... re=channel
Part 3/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPz_Qbjf ... re=channel
Part 4/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vnBsDto ... re=channel
Part 5/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo1RTebu ... re=channel

[Ship called Dignity]

Death with Dignity

Gulp! Was it something I said?!

[bill]

Death with Dignity

Gulp! Was it something I said?!

No,you are safe enough Davie.

[numberplease]

[quote="LANDROVER ROGER"]Many years ago when I was 18 years old I watched my Father deteriorate from a superbly fit ex-army boxing champion to skin and bone within a short period of time.He died of lung cancer,gasping for breath until the very last.I firmly believe the choice should be down to the individual and assistance to die with dignity should not be criminalised.[/quote]

I Absolutely and resoundingly agree. We are considered cruel to let an animal live when suffering, therefore we assist them to die, but humans aren`t considered in the same way?
I also disagree with the law having the power over life and death when it comes down to whether a tiny baby should be allowed to live or not.

[blueboyno1]

Many years ago when I was 18 years old I watched my Father deteriorate from a superbly fit ex-army boxing champion to skin and bone within a short period of time.He died of lung cancer,gasping for breath until the very last.I firmly believe the choice should be down to the individual and assistance to die with dignity should not be criminalised.

I Absolutely and resoundingly agree. We are considered cruel to let an animal live when suffering, therefore we assist them to die, but humans aren`t considered in the same way?
I also disagree with the law having the power over life and death when it comes down to whether a tiny baby should be allowed to live or not.

Just beat me to saying the exact same thing ,something far up with the law . People should be able to have the assistance of others to leave this world ,many would like the help of family and friends but are afraid of getting them into trouble.I think it would be the most loving thing that you could do to help someone who was in terrible pain and suffering.

[Govangirl]

I agree with all the points here – it’s about compassion - but we need to take care about going down this very dangerous path. There are many who will find it very useful if they want to have a rich, troublesome relative out of the picture. How easy would it be for them if the law was changed? How would we agree to the circumstances around such a law? What about old people who feel they should go down this path because they think they’re a burden? (I know, my mother is in that latter group).

[bill]

One thing I would disagree with,and that is calling it "assisted suicide".

[AP]

It's all down to what we have all been told at Sunday School or church since we were kids that it's a sin to kill yourself.

I've already told my spouse and (maybe i should put it in writing) that if anything happens to me and i don't know what planet I'm on and need 24hr care then take me to the clinic for the injection.I don't want my kids last memory of me as some lump in a bed who can't even go to the loo or feed myself.

I've worked in a few nursing homes here and in Glasgow and it's just so sad to see people waist away or wander around all day not knowing where they are or who they are.

[daftdog]

It's all down to what we have all been told at Sunday School or church since we were kids that it's a sin to kill yourself.

I've already told my spouse and (maybe i should put it in writing) that if anything happens to me and i don't know what planet I'm on and need 24hr care then take me to the clinic for the injection.I don't want my kids last memory of me as some lump in a bed who can't even go to the loo or feed myself.

I've worked in a few nursing homes here and in Glasgow and it's just so sad to see people waist away or wander around all day not knowing where they are or who they are.

I agree with you a little there AP as i feel the same way, but i don't agree with you getting help to kill yourself in that situation, as mentally you can't say yourself that you want to die at that point in your life. Even putting it in writing would not help. And i think its up to my children and or immediate family to decide what their lasting memory is. My great granny was not the woman i remember her as when she passed away in hospital, but i don't think of her as she was at the end, i just think of her as the cheerful wee woman she was when i was young.

I think the only way it would be acceptable to have "assistance" to end your own life, is if you can physically sign or leave your "mark" to a statement that you are mentally able to comprehend that you are in-fact choosing to end your life. I would even want to see an independent body to witness the whole procedure, to ensure that the system isn't abused. Even blinking a set number of times for yes or no, would in my mind be acceptable as a sign that you understand what is about to happen and what you want to happen.