Kevin's Watch

I am sure if any of us were in his shoes we would have a different outlook on life.

variol son wrote:Also, advocating therapy and meds for someone who can't move at all is a little patronizing. What are we hoping to do - convince them to be happy about the fact that their body is a prison?

"Men simply copied the realities of their hearts when they built prisons"
~Ely Houston

Sorry for that bit of triteness. It doesn't really fit but I was somehow reminded of the above quote.

Anyway, I think I understand the why of suicide being against the law; it costs, especially when someone in their teenage years, who in schooling costs among other things represents an investment by the people of their nation.

And frankly I can kinda understand that. I don't blame the law for leaving this bit of deterrence and insurance; the insurance that because people see suicide as illegal and therefore somehow taboo, they may be less likely to perform it. Ultimately, we don't actually stop those who wish to die from doing so most of the time - though I find it ironic that those who are hardest put to end their time often have the worst situations in many ways - but perhaps we deter some who have the best chance to recover?

Sorry Holsety, I can't imagine the fact that suicide's illegal has ever deterred anyone from attempting or going through with it.

Cail, you can tell when I'm talking about the Italian man, right?

Ok, my comment about offering therapy and meds being patronizing was made in the context of the guy who has a degenerative disease and can't move or talk. I wasn't talking about kids suffering teenage angst.

I believe that teenagers suffering from depression should be offered therapy and meds - part of the whole "tell them they shouldn't but not that they can't" thing Cail mentioned earlier and that I agreed with not-so-earlier.

Yep, with you 100%.

but where do you draw the line? if you agree that is an option, who isn't it an option for? aren't you denying someone the option by not offering it?

We deny minors the ability to drink alcohol. It's simple, if you're an adult, you can off yourself if you wish.

a bad idea. and one i hope never passes.

pretty soon we would have Soylent Green centers so old people were no longer a burden to their families. the goveremnt would also advocate, so ss was no longer a problem.

That's assuming everybody over the age of x would want to off themselves - I don't see that. I want to be the crotchetiest geezer in the old folks home, but that;s because I have a zest for life, not because I have been chained to my mortal coil by Big Bro'.

DW

i am more worried about families and people with the POA wanting to off the old folks. or offing people off who have degenerative diseases.

Come on Sarge, if suicide became legal it's not like people are gonna be lining up for the needle, let alone government enforced suicide, that's just ridiculous.

really? have you seen how many people get dumped in nursing homes? have you seen how many families never visit? and how many of these families have poa? and how many are just waiting for the person to die so they can get monies and properties? if suicide is legal, how long before someone sues to wipe out the exception with insurance companies? if it is a fundamental right then insurance and wills will need to be adjusted. remember how abortion would never be used as birth control? and now we have over a million abortions a year? do you honestly believe we won't have high suicide/euthancide numbers?

Jesus Dennis, get off the shell game. No one's talking about Soylent Green or allowing someone else to make the decision. What we're talking about is adults having the right to end their lives for themselves.

Someone get a blower to get all this straw out of here.

I know....how did we get around to government advocating murder?

logical conclusions. taking your argument further.

Hardly logical. Explain, if you will, how decriminalizing suicide somehow becomes the government, insurance companies, and family members being able to kill someone.

This should be interesting.

I agree with you Sweet Knees....I can't wait to see Sarge's line of logic....

I'm not certain we should decriminalize suicide. I definitely don't think insurance companies will ever pay out for suicide, nor should they. I don't advocate suicide as a good solution to anything. BUT, similar to the way we don't prevent a person from eating doughnuts by the pound even though it is tantamount to self-assault with a deadly weapon (let's conveniently ignore the ridiculous illegal trans-fat thing in NYC, shall we?) we should not forbid someone from making a well thought-out (yet decidedly bad) decision to take their own life.

DW

The insurance companies have nothing to do with it. Insurance companies can refuse coverage for all sorts of legal activities.