Assisted suicide for healthy elderly...

Many of you might be familiar with the liberal way of thinking of a little group of earthlings known as the Dutch...

Abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, legal softdrugs etc etc....

Indeed a very fun place to life but we are not happy about some of the restrictions that come with these freedoms.

The right to get assistance in ending your life is something we feel is very important. But now a group of people are forming an initiative because they feel that it is not fair that only the terminally ill get this option. People without medical issues should have the same rights.

The initiative is called "Uit vrije wil" translated "Out of free will", and they are fighting for the right of elderly people, who feel that the best of their days are behind them, to leave this life with dignity.

(link to their website, unfortunately it's all in dutch)
Uit vrije wil

The initiative is formed by some very prominent Dutch celebrities and politicians and it wouldn't surprise me if, in the near future, assisted suicide without a reason is available for anybody.

Needless to say that i am 100% for this initiative and they have my support but i was curious what you, ATS, thinks about legal assisted suicide for anybody who feels their life has lost it's meaning.....

Peace


[edit on 10-2-2010 by operation mindcrime]

No government has the right nor the power to tell someone they have to live.

Assisted suicide should be available everywhere.

Its a subject that is "hot" in the UK at the moment too. assisted suicide.

It is a very difficult issue to deal with and Im not yet decided on the issue.

On the one hand, we put down animals who are dying because that is seen as humane. putting the animal out of it's misery, why should we not be able to help loved ones pass on who are dying of pain.

The problems I see, is that people who are dying may feel they are a burden on the family and consider assisted suicide to help eleveate the problems they are causing. It may also be abused by people who want relatives dead for financial gain.

To be honest the whole issue is a mine field of moral issues.

You should maybe change the title, as this is a really important issue and some may be put off if they think its just abnout the dutch system.

[edit on 10-2-2010 by woodwardjnr]

Agreed.

As taboo as it is, assisted suicide should be okay-ed.

Along with proper approach, 6 months look over to see if the person is set on it, or if it's just a 'phase'.

Don't want anyone jumping off a building only to halfway through the fall to have them change their mind with no way back.

Peace in, Peace out.

reply to post by woodwardjnr

woodwardjnr,

Maybe i had to emphasize a little more that the initiative is fighting for the right of people with absolutely no medical implication to end their life for no other reason then that they feel life is not worth living anymore.....

Peace

Originally posted by Republican08
Agreed.

As taboo as it is, assisted suicide should be okay-ed.

Along with proper approach, 6 months look over to see if the person is set on it, or if it's just a 'phase'.

Don't want anyone jumping off a building only to halfway through the fall to have them change their mind with no way back.

Peace in, Peace out.

The worry is that people get talked into being "set on it". Ill people who are not in the best position to defend themselves and considering themselves a burden on those caring for them and just get talked into the assisted suicide root.

dbl post

[edit on 10-2-2010 by woodwardjnr]

Originally posted by operation mindcrime
reply to post by woodwardjnr

 

woodwardjnr,

Maybe i had to emphasize a little more that the initiative is fighting for the right of people with absolutely no medical implication to end their life for no other reason then that they feel life is not worth living anymore.....

Peace

OK sorry, i hope I havn't derailed things too much

peas

No-one has the right to say who will live and who will die.

No-one has the right to dictate to other people.

No-one has the right to wage war.

No-one has the right to cause starvation.

reply to post by Republican08

Republican08,

I do agree that some serious counseling should be had with potential candidates and of course some time to think it over. But apart from that i think it is a great plan!!!

Peace

reply to post by kawacat


Nations dont have the right to wage war in self defense?

What kind of backwards thinking is that?

reply to post by kawacat


And if one group of people has the right to get assisted, legal, government funded suicide then everybody should have that right.

Just because somebody is terminally ill doesn't mean that they get special rights while others who are healthy are denied these rights....

Isn't the Dutch obsessive lust for equality a funny thing to observe?

Peace

reply to post by brainwrek


You know what - that is forward thinking actually - it is called caring about other people.

Waging war is killing millions of people - can you picture those babies who are dying? And their parents?

That is a fact.

Originally posted by kawacat
You know what - that is forward thinking actually - it is called caring about other people.

This is actually what i was trying to get at. I am all for equality and when somebody gets the right to assisted suicide, everybody should have the right to assisted suicide. No matter what the reason but......

Shouldn't we be asking our selfs why healthy senior citizens want to end their life? I am not saying that they have lost their lust for life because, in modern day society, we put them in retirement homes and are to busy making money to give them the respect and attentions they deserve but i do find it curious...

Maybe they feel useless, maybe we make them feel useless.....i really don't know but i find it very interesting to see that beside disposable products we are actually creating a disposable society.

Peace

I have to agree with some of the dutch views.

Here in the US we have what is called a "no code blue order".also known as a Do Not Resuscitate order.

If someone has serious medical problems that can only lead to a long and painful death they can sign a no code blue order.

This means that when there quality of life reaches a point where only extraordinary efforts are needed to continue life they can say that no extraordinary efforts will be used to continue there life.

No ventilators, feeding tubes, or other life support.
in most cases by this time they are permanently bed ridden and unable to care for themselves and have no enjoyments of life left.

They can always revoke the "no code blue order" at any time.
But i have never heard of any one doing it.

Being a ex EMT i have a Do Not Resuscitate order spelled out in my wishes.
If i suffer a condition where i will be bed ridden and hospitalized for the rest of my life without hope of recovery it kicks in.
if i suffer from alzheimer's and require rest home care it kicks in.

Its my choice no to have my "body" keep alive when i have no "quality of life" left.

reply to post by operation mindcrime


When people get tired of living in this world - which ought to be a glorious world, except people ruin it - I think they should stick around to see what happens.

But...if someone is in terminal pain, they should be allowed to die, peacefully.

reply to post by ANNED

Thanks for the reply ANNED.

I could not agree more with what you said and i am considering getting one of those "do not resuscitate" tags but i have changed the title of this thread because i feel we are missing the point.

Assisted suicide for HEALTHY elderly... is the new title....

Peace


[edit on 10-2-2010 by operation mindcrime]

Assisted suicide for HEALTHY elderly... is the new title....

Well, if they're healthy - why would they need help to die? Surely they have the capability to kill themselves?

And I do believe it should be allowed. Governments and laws do not have the right to restrict someone to the extent of how to die.

Everyone should at least have that right. And to be honest, I believe in the soul - so by killing the body, there's no harm to the soul, so I believe it's fine.

Originally posted by BlackPoison94

Assisted suicide for HEALTHY elderly... is the new title....

Well, if they're healthy - why would they need help to die? Surely they have the capability to kill themselves?

I believe they would like to exit with some dignity. And jumping from the roof of the retirement home doesn't comply with their idea of dignity.

Peace

PS: star for your thoughts

[edit on 10-2-2010 by operation mindcrime]

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
OK sorry, i hope I haven't derailed things too much

peas

Not at all!! Thanks for the reply...

Peas??