Right to Die

[Aquitaine]

I think that showing mercy is part of Dharma (duty, ethical etc.) making someone comfortable and then allowing them to die peacefully surrounded by loved ones trumps any and all supposed "morals." As it stands now terminally ill people are committing suicide in full knowledge of their family who are forced to be separate from them during the deed, which means they are left to die alone (this is due to our laws.) Dogs have more ****ing dignity than this in death and yet people have the gall to say this isn't the same? Like hell! They are treated better than humans. Not that I'm against putting down an animal with no quality of life. That too is a mercy, albeit both are extremely difficult to do.

People should be able to die as painlessly and with as much dignity as possible.

Especially since it's their final experience, why are some people content with giving others a really raw and unpleasant goodbye?

 

[psychoslice]

I am sorry to hear you both had to experience that. It further highlights how inhumane the natural death process can be. In an age where we have common use of anaesthetics, I really don't understand why people are opposed to humane Assisted Dying atleast for those who are terminally ill or suffering.

I think its because most people are afraid of death, and so they project their fear onto others that want to end their life.

 

[SomeRandom]

Especially since it's their final experience, why are some people content with giving others a really raw and unpleasant goodbye?

Exactly!

 

[SomeRandom]

This is going to be very emotional for me. What is the ‘right to die’? The very wording of this concept is ridiculous to me, not to mention the concept itself. You experience pain and suffering, which can be excruciating, near your deathbed, and you use it as a reason to commit what is practically suicide. I find it absolutely despicable, quite frankly. Every single human being is destined to experience suffering in life, some to greater degrees than others. Though, a good many unfortunate souls are here in this world even now experiencing levels of physical pain and suffering the likes of which proponents of the ‘right to die’ cannot even begin to measure, cannot even begin to fathom. It's like attempting to compare a man being kicked in the testicles to a man being flogged. What is all the more depressing about this sobering truth is that many of these are young men, young women, little children, babies even. Not dieing in a hospital bed, but on the f***in streets. And people want to talk about a ‘right to die’. My ***.

What is the right to live? If such a concept exists why shouldn't the concept of the right to die? Death is a natural part of life. There is no life without death.
Of course every effort should be made to help everyone who is suffering needlessly. Part of that help comes with the release of death to the terminally ill. I was fortunate that we had palative care for my ailing father. Which means he was hopped up on morphine when he was on his deathbed and wasn't in that much pain. Of course he was turning yellow, his lips were blue and he couldn't speak.
Before that he was losing weight, completely embarrassed due to his various symptoms, would writhe in agony during the night and could barely do anything he used to do. Which left him feeling frustrated and upset. A once strong proud man, withering away.
With all due respect until you've witnessed that with your own eyes don't even try to pretend to say you care about life and that because other people are suffering that's what your own family should do. Who the hell are you to tell my father what his threshold is? What gives you the damned right to tell him he should just bear it? You weren't the one fighting cancer for over a decade. You weren't the one burnt alive by radiation therapy. You weren't the one who couldn't taste anything because of the chemo. You weren't the one scared ****less. You weren't the one lamenting that you probably wouldn't see your only daughter grow up.
And you weren't the one constantly checking to see if your father was still breathing during the night.
And your ****ing solution is "just try to die in your sleep." It doesn't ****ing work like that. Who do you think you are telling people in agony that they must just grin and bear it? Are you that cruel? Really?

As for your natural argument do you also object to medicine in general? They go against nature. Sometimes even stops the natural death process.

See? There's highly charged emotions on both sides here.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I would also add, my beliefs (which Are my morals; cant separate the two), are against assisted suicide. I would not do so "with a sound mind" do it myself; but I know with a suffering mind, unfortunately, I would sadly override my beliefs because the pain would be so great. I dont want it. I dont like it. It doesnt make sense to me. And, I know my mind would not be in the riht state to think about anything but relieving the pain.

As for taking a loved ones love, no. I cant do that. I have siblings who may say otherways. I will let them handle the legal stuff and do it: AND I disagree.

My point: My beliefs and opinions have no barring if that suffering person wants to die. No one has the rights to die. No exceptions. I see it the same as capitol punishment.

It is not my right to take away another person's choice to die. That is the only reason why I would do so let a family member do so. NOT for my own benefit to see a loved one not suffer but out of Respect to that loved one who wishes to do so since its His decision.

--

Rights belong for peopl to "the right to bare arms; the right that homosexuals can now marry and adopt; the right to free speech; and so forth)

No one, legal or otherwise, has the right to take anothers life, to decide to "act" against someone else's bad karmic actions, the right to prevent a mother from being with her child, the right to impose on someone else's religious beliefs.

You can make exceptions to the rule (assisted suicide, because he killed others, because gay marriage is wrong according to christians, and so forth) that doesnt make it morally right to do these things just legally right.

I disagree with the law. That is not My choice. It is the choice of the person suffering. Period.

I have epileptic seizures. Before Inhad surgery, I was told I would not live long without the surgery. Sometimes doing my big seizures I would actually be awake and think. I was in tremendous pain. If my seizures had not stoped (and docs didnt stop them) I could choke to death. I thought about God. (I was christian then.) I thought about stoing the pain. I thought about everything but I never thought about taking my life. The pain was so great that I could not make that decision even If I want to. If I could, I would not agree with doing it. Not because of my faith just the fact the body wants to survive. If I can survive just one more minute, that would be enough for me.

Now, I dont have big seizures. I suffered from clinical depression for a long time. I wanted to die and made suicidal gestures. It was like my body was fighting against itself. THIS was WORSE than my seizures and there is no pain. The difference is I was not mentallly sound.

Now I enjoy every bit of life. I cant imagine any worse physical pain than I had (and to an extent still have) with seizures. I cant imagine waiting to die.

Id be like the kid on t.v.: my last wish? Give me a lap dance.

I dont know what my last wish would be but to live one more second until I cant anymore. My mother would pull the plug. I have no strength to do som

All I can say is if I suffered and it was like my clinic depression, yes. I would want to pull the plug. Not because its morally right. But it would be a mental and biological reponsene to ease the pain.

Dont leave it up to me. I dont have that right. I cant speak for how my body and mind if says otherwise. As for someone else. Above answered

 

[psychoslice]

I feel that in the near future we will be looking back and realizing how cruel we were, not assisting people to die in dignity.

 

[Sundance]

What is the right to live? If such a concept exists why shouldn't the concept of the right to die? Death is a natural part of life. There is no life without death.
Of course every effort should be made to help everyone who is suffering needlessly. Part of that help comes with the release of death to the terminally ill. I was fortunate that we had palative care for my ailing father. Which means he was hopped up on morphine when he was on his deathbed and wasn't in that much pain. Of course he was turning yellow, his lips were blue and he couldn't speak.
Before that he was losing weight, completely embarrassed due to his various symptoms, would writhe in agony during the night and could barely do anything he used to do. Which left him feeling frustrated and upset. A once strong proud man, withering away.
With all due respect until you've witnessed that with your own eyes don't even try to pretend to say you care about life and that because other people are suffering that's what your own family should do. Who the hell are you to tell my father what his threshold is? What gives you the damned right to tell him he should just bear it? You weren't the one fighting cancer for over a decade. You weren't the one burnt alive by radiation therapy. You weren't the one who couldn't taste anything because of the chemo. You weren't the one scared ****less. You weren't the one lamenting that you probably wouldn't see your only daughter grow up.
And you weren't the one constantly checking to see if your father was still breathing during the night.
And your ****ing solution is "just try to die in your sleep." It doesn't ****ing work like that. Who do you think you are telling people in agony that they must just grin and bear it? Are you that cruel? Really?

As for your natural argument do you also object to medicine in general? They go against nature. Sometimes even stops the natural death process.

See? There's highly charged emotions on both sides here.

Indeed, SomeRandom, indeed. You're right, and I'm wrong. I agree with everything you've said. No terminally ill individual should be coerced into remaining alive should it be contrary to his or her wishes. I absolutely don't understand where you, or psychoslice, or Draka are coming from, and I'm not going to front and say I do. I , however, do understand what it feels like to lose a loved one (several, in fact, within a year or so of one another), and even before I had the chance to say “I love you.” or “Goodbye.” I'm not cruel, (at least, I try not to be), rather I'm just coming from a very deep place of hurt. Death in general is full of pain and suffering, if not for those who are dying, then verily, for their loved ones. A slow and painful death is torture for any terminally ill person. All I wanted to do concerning this issue is try to make sense out of it (and to speak from my heart), but instead, I ended up being a ****ing jerk to several individuals in this thread (especially, to you), a jack*** with a heart as black as the onyx stone. I now see that it was so damn insensitive of me to foolishly condemn a person for wanting to be quickly liberated from sufferings I can't even start to conceive. I feel ashamed, as I'm not normally the kind of person to tell anyone else how to live their life, it's just I am a strongly opinionated person. I hope that this exchange of very emotionally charged words hasn't soured our friendship. If it has, I humbly apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Oh yeah, I do believe in the use of medicines as a very positive tool in increasing the quality of one's life, provided there exists no intent to harm anyone. Blessed Be. )0(

 

[SomeRandom]

Indeed, SomeRandom, indeed. You're right, and I'm wrong. I agree with everything you've said. No terminally ill individual should be coerced into remaining alive should it be contrary to his or her wishes. I absolutely don't understand where you, or psychoslice, or Draka are coming from, and I'm not going to front and say I do. I , however, do understand what it feels like to lose a loved one (several, in fact, within a year or so of one another), and even before I had the chance to say “I love you.” or “Goodbye.” I'm not cruel, (at least, I try not to be), rather I'm just coming from a very deep place of hurt. Death in general is full of pain and suffering, if not for those who are dying, then verily, for their loved ones. A slow and painful death is torture for any terminally ill person. All I wanted to do concerning this issue is try to make sense out of it (and to speak from my heart), but instead, I ended up being a ****ing jerk to several individuals in this thread (especially, to you), a jack*** with a heart as black as the onyx stone. I now see that it was so damn insensitive of me to foolishly condemn a person for wanting to be quickly liberated from sufferings I can't even start to conceive. I feel ashamed, as I'm not normally the kind of person to tell anyone else how to live their life, it's just I am a strongly opinionated person. I hope that this exchange of very emotionally charged words hasn't soured our friendship. If it has, I humbly apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Oh yeah, I do believe in the use of medicines as a very positive tool in increasing the quality of one's life, provided there exists no intent to harm anyone. Blessed Be. )0(

Do not fret. I have already forgotten the heated exchange. Life is too short to dwell on grumblings. Well that and I'm quite aloof.

Death is awful for anyone involved. Grief affects us in ways that change us forever. It causes bubbling emotions waiting to erupt.
But we must remember to cool our heads, to laugh again, to take a step back and look at the situation logically as well. Yes, I know what it's like to lose many loved ones in a short amount of time. But one must also remember not to be selfish as well.

I was angry and hurt that my father seemingly wanted to die at the end. I understood logically that he must have been in some serious pain to even consider it, given how stubborn and proud he was in life. But I was 16, I wanted my dad to come see me graduate High School and later Uni. I wanted him to jokingly "threaten" my fiance and then walk me down the aisle. I wanted to see his face when I paid a deposit for a house. I just wanted him to live and see me do everything you're supposed to do. For a while I was hurt that he wanted to end it all.
But even then I think I knew that to ask him to fight on even for another minute longer would have caused him too much pain for it to be worth it. We must be compassionate, we must not allow our selfishness to cause grief to another person even if that means that they have to leave us. And we must not fear death, as hard as that is to do.
I guess coming from an Eastern background it made me react a certain way to death. I was taught to face it head on and even to celebrate it to a certain extent.

 

[Agathion]

My faith and myself allow for euthanasia. If a person wishes to die and would be better off dead then let them die. Allowing suffering because (certain) other religions forbid such is evil pure and simple.