Teens need right to 'medically assisted suicide'

telegraph ^ | 26/03/2008 | By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels

[MarMema]

You think a 16 year old can make that decision wisely?

[Grzegorz 246]

What about 6 month old ? This is already legal.

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[Canedawg]

Wow. Just wow at that propaganda you found and posted.

[Mrs. Don-o]

All human problems can be eliminated by human extinction.

Brilliant method of responding to the human condition. A kind of idiot arithmetic, consisting solely of subtraction.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"I’d like to see all fetuses have a right to be born and then, once they are old enough, let them decide if they would like to continue living."

Old enough?

9?

19?

90?

Variable, depending on assessment by the State Board of Quality Control and Compassionate Niceness?

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Just a guess here but God has to be done with Europe."

Not quite yet. Pope Benedict has a couple of cards up his sleeve.

[rarestia]

All human problems can be eliminated by human extinction.

If you believe that all human problems can be eliminated by pharmaceuticals, then you're essentially shoring up your own argument.

Have you ever seen someone who's so whacked out on Xanax that they can barely enunciate their words and have just enough energy to get from their bed to the toilet and back? I have a friend who's a "victim" of anxiety, and he's popping 3 - 5 Xanax a day. And his damn doctor continues to fill his scripts! 90 pills for a 30 day period... are you serious? You don't think that's excessive?

I'm not a proponent of his demise, but seriously... what sort of life is that to live? I tried to drag him out of the house to the gym with me, kayaking, bike rides on local trails, even GeoCaching... he just wanted to go home halfway through the experience for one reason or another.

As long as the medical establishment looks at curing the maladies of man with a pill as the answer, we're not getting any better as a society. I, too, suffer from anxiety, but I've learned that exercise, proper diet, a little spirituality and good, old fashioned positive thoughts keep me on even keel without the help of Big Pharma.

Don't mistake my commentary for idiot arithmetic. These people have to want to get better. Their want to die is their own problem. We shouldn't have to legislate for them to be allowed to off themselves, but we should bring more scientific scrutiny to an industry that may very well be turning the minds of these people into suicidal miasmas.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"If I was costing a hundred grand a year to keep alive I’d definitely off myself."

But why would you "off" yourself?

Why wouldn't you just stop spending the hundred grand, and get youself into a simple decent place where you can live -- clean, fed, clothed, sheltered --- and a few chosen kin or dear ones can sit by, pray, open beers and trade wisecracks, until your well-and-truly natural death comes and claims you?

That would be the better option. Take my word for it.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, I agree with that part about "not burdening the medicdal profession."

[Mrs. Don-o]

" If you believe that all human problems can be eliminated by pharmaceuticals,"

Not at all. (????) I've never said that, never written it, never implied it, and never believed it.

I appreciate your concern about kids whacked out of Xanax.

"...exercise, proper diet, a little spirituality and good, old fashioned positive thoughts keep me on even keel without the help of Big Pharma."

Amen to that.

[socialismisinsidious]

With this type of Liberal, socialist thinking in Europe it sure does explain how the Nazis came to power and never left. Couple the Libs here with half the sheople getting handouts and having no knowledge of history....God help US.

[socialismisinsidious]

"This person suffering from hereditary defects costs the community 60,000 Reichsmark during his lifetime. Fellow Germans, that is your money, too."

When the government pays for your health care then guess who decides if you should receive health care...

[rarestia]

I've never said that, never written it, never implied it, and never believed it.

You're right. My apologies. I got a little heated in this thread. Thank you for being understanding.

[3catsanadog]

No, absolutely not.

My point is that I see no reason if a person is wanting to die, why they need to involve others to "assist" them.

The law in Oregon where, I believe, there is legally assisted suicide states that the person must be alert, oriented and know exactly what he or she wants. They must be physically capable of taking the suicide concoction prepared by others by themselves.

So why can't they just swallow a bunch of pills on their own?

To me, assisted suicide is just a way for the person who wants to die to spread the responsibility around. Maybe it alleviates some of their own guilt. I don't know.

I'm not making light of suicide. I've been in depths of hopelessness myself where it crossed my mind. Only my belief in God and faith in Him and my love for my family kept me from going forward in that regard.