Terminally ill Woman Fighting for Others’ Rights to End Their Own Lives

Its strange how people are allowed to kill themselves legally if it is slow (Alcohol, cigarettes) but if you want to go quickly then its illegal..

Very sad reading that she is terminal at such a young age. If only they paid scientists as much as sports stars I'm sure she would not have to make such a choice.

a reply to: CardiffGiant

You speak like life is ruined already. There is a sanctity in life and Im sad you dont see it my friend.

Please I try not to argue against this womans wishes but if she can why not every one. People will want to end their life due to plain everyday events that we all must go through.

And you say make some one live against their wishes if they no longer want to live.
Thats like saying why go to work we dont want to but we must. We dont want to do chores or labor but we must.

Living may not be enjoyable but whats the alternative. Sad to say people prefer death over life.

I'm not apposed to ending a life early in certain situations. Easing pain is definitely one of those situations. Things will start getting blurred when dementia and als patients come into the mix.

originally posted by: MGaddafi

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: MGaddafi

This is blatant fearmongering. It's so bad that you should go work for Fox News or something.

How would this related to a FOX news style fearmonger please elaborate ?

Because you have no idea that this:

People will offing themselves left and right from minor things and this will spiral out of control as this will scar the concept of life if one is allowed to take it for minor things or no reason at just becuase they had a right to.

will be true. This is one big slippery slope fallacy and is a goto tactic for unscrupulous news agencies like Fox News arguing to keep morality issues like drugs illegal ("if we legalize drugs, then everyone will be doing drugs in the streets. It will be the breakdown of society as we know it!"). THAT is fearmongering.

The idea that if assisted suicide is legal all of a sudden there will be a mass die off of people killing themselves for minor reasons is COMPLETELY unfounded. Just because it's allowed doesn't automatically mean everyone will want to do it. For one, your scenario assumes that it would be a free-for-all or something. When that couldn't be further from the truth.

When was the last time that the government legalized something without first putting major restrictions and regulations on it? Never that's when. Also, it's not like suicide prevention hot lines will cease to exist or that 911 rescue agencies will stop rescuing attempted suicides. Do you think that the government wouldn't require you to go through a bunch of assistance channels first BEFORE electing to utilize assisted suicide? Because I can TOTALLY see the government forcing you to do that, since the government already forces you to do that for things like sex reassignment surgery.

I have the same type of tumour as this lady and would love the option of assisted suicide. I recently had a stroke, which was worse than the effects of the tumour and had my brother contacting Dignitas in Switzerland. So had the option been available in my country, I may possibly have taken the route of assisted suicide. 3 months on I'm now back at home with my family. I still have the tumour and am struggling with the effects of the stroke, but I'm alive and happy to still be here. I have had the GBM tumour for 7 years now. I should have been dead years ago, but keep squeezing the years out. It won't be long now. I imagine the next reoccurrence will be it. Due to the stroke, the treatment options have now been reduced significantly. I'm not really scared of dying. I'm more scarred of having another stroke and being trapped in my body, I never want to go through that experience. It's such a tough decision. I don't really want to contemplate it again. So I'll bow out of this thread, I can't really add anything. I just wish there was an option like in the movie soylent green, where you can go to a place to have a suicide of your choice, painless and respectable, invite friends and family and have it made an enjoyable personal experience

originally posted by: MGaddafi

. People will want to end their life due to plain everyday events that we all must go through.

and they should be able to

And you say make some one live against their wishes if they no longer want to live.

i never said that
Thats like saying why go to work we dont want to but we must. We dont want to do chores or labor but we must.

that is nothing like going to work when we dont want to...and no, we dont HAVE to live

Living may not be enjoyable but whats the alternative. Sad to say people prefer death over life.

the alternative is death. you know, not living...
said? maybe
so what?

edit*
people kill themselves all the time...illegally i guess.
you know, brains splattered all over the house for the wife and kids to come find. then having to call crime scene clean up. then having to spend time/money/manpower investigating to make sure it wasnt murder...

it is happening anyway...much like the war on drugs does nothing to curb use. suicide being illegal does nothing to stop it.

now i dont have the logistics worked out and i dont really care to but

if someone can go to 'x' and take a pill and knock off. then call the coroner, pronounce it and be done.
much easier than the body being found and the investigation and yadda yadda.....end result is the same

a reply to: Krazysh0t

And what makes you think this is unfounded ? That legal assisted suicide would spiral out of control and people would wanting to kill themself due to minor reasons.

This "unfounded" reasoning you dislike and label me a fearmonger for it ?

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
I have the same type of tumour as this lady and would love the option of assisted suicide. I recently had a stroke, which was worse than the effects of the tumour and had my brother contacting Dignitas in Switzerland. So had the option been available in my country, I may possibly have taken the route of assisted suicide. 3 months on I'm now back at home with my family. I still have the tumour and am struggling with the effects of the stroke, but I'm alive and happy to still be here. I have had the GBM tumour for 7 years now. I should have been dead years ago, but keep squeezing the years out. It won't be long now. I imagine the next reoccurrence will be it. Due to the stroke, the treatment options have now been reduced significantly. I'm not really scared of dying. I'm more scarred of having another stroke and being trapped in my body, I never want to go through that experience. It's such a tough decision. I don't really want to contemplate it again. So I'll bow out of this thread, I can't really add anything. I just wish there was an option like in the movie soylent green, where you can go to a place to have a suicide of your choice, painless and respectable, invite friends and family and have it made an enjoyable personal experience

Woody, firstly it's good to see you back here. I am a true believer of a higher power as I am a Christian. I believe maybe you've made it through for a reason. Though I don't know what you've been through, I just think that "what if"... What if she does this and the next day there is a breakthrough, what if she does this and some small path she was meant to take would have caused something wonderful to have happen.

You might find this/me silly but just my two shillings worth. Anyways praying for your recovery and happiness.

Maybee

a reply to: MGaddafi

Because you made it up. Or do you have some scientific studies to back those claims up?

a reply to: CardiffGiant

Good reply my friend. This is why I enjoy ATS. Disscusion not mindless ranting and trolling.

originally posted by: maybee
I just think that "what if"... What if she does this and the next day there is a breakthrough, what if she does this and some small path she was meant to take would have caused something wonderful to have happen.

none of the what ifs will matter.
the person will be dead

originally posted by: MGaddafi
People will say its their right to kill themself due to everyday life event.

It IS their right to commit suicide for whatever reason they deem important enough to do so. It's none of our business and it's their right to do with their life as they see fit. We are not qualified to judge what is 'too much' or not. Everyone is different and everyone can or can't handle things differently. What is small to you is huge to someone else.

It IS a persons right to kill themselves for whatever reason they decide.
We have no right to stop them.

originally posted by: MGaddafi
a reply to: Krazysh0t
That legal assisted suicide would spiral out of control and people would wanting to kill themself due to minor reasons.

well you dont really know that now do you?
even if it does and people want to kill themselves for 'minor' reasons, so what?

if someone wants to kill themselves they are going to do it.

might as well do it without a big mess. might as well not traumatize other people by having to stumble across a week old body hanging from the fan of a hotel room.
you know

This is an easy one. It will never be allowed because governments need slaves. Can't just have the slaves offing themselves left and right, who would pay taxes then? Simple really.

a reply to: FlyersFan

a reply to: Krazysh0t

This is laughable. Do you have scientific studies saying that my OPINIONS are "unfounded" ?

originally posted by: CardiffGiant

originally posted by: maybee
I just think that "what if"... What if she does this and the next day there is a breakthrough, what if she does this and some small path she was meant to take would have caused something wonderful to have happen.

none of the what ifs will matter.
the person will be dead

That is my point.

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
I just wish there was an option like in the movie soylent green, where you can go to a place to have a suicide of your choice, painless and respectable, invite friends and family and have it made an enjoyable personal experience

That's EXACTLY what I'd like to see for planet Earth. Give people a legal and respectable and dignified choice for end of life. It should be available to any adult, anywhere, for whatever their reason is. It's their business.

That being said, I'm sorry that you are in the medical situation you are in. I understand what you said about not being afraid of death but instead being afraid of the decaying body and being stuck in it. You will be in my thoughts.

a reply to: MGaddafi

Sorry proof doesn't work that way. You made the claims, you need to produce the evidence that it is the case. Until you do, it remains a slippery slope fallacy and fearmongering. Stop deflecting and deny ignorance. If you enjoy this website so much, then practice its motto.

ETA: Besides that. I edited my previous post to give you some reasons why society WON'T go in the direction you indicated. So go back and reread post before the last one.

a reply to: FlyersFan

i agree with everything you just said.
aside from pain, terminal diseases and the like, there are a billion reasons why someone would want to end it.

think about i people...
suicide happens all the time

people are found with slit wrists in bath tubs and such......thats a nice juicy scene to come home to huh?
a nice little macabre scene for little suzy to find after school.
not only is mom dead but she leaked all over the bathroom floor...

yeah, thats much better than clean and dignified huh...ha

originally posted by: maybee

That is my point.

if it does not matter then what is the point?
im confused

i can think of millions of scenarios where people decide to off themselves.

from the terminal person to the spouse that gambled away the college fund.
suicide happens every day in every state and every city.

the whole legality of it(being illegal) is a hoot.

i wonder how much time is wasted investigating the suicide to make sure it was not murder.
i wonder how much money it costs to run all the samples that the detectives take.
i wonder how traumatizing it is for little suzy to see mom all blue floating in a tub full of crimson water...

come on people........