Well said.........these issues are much more agonizingly complex,especially at the personal level, than some of the simpler minds here would have us believe.
Before I state my position, let me make an observation and ask you just one question.
Observation: Did you notice that goat granny is doing the exact same thing she accuses me and others of doing? Think about it.
Question: Why is it that you folks think you are the only ones who've ever had to deal with tragedy?
Now, let me state my position:
I am not willing to screw up the finest medical system in the history of the world so that you guys can have your way.
I am not willing to screw up the legal system that guards my rights and the rights of everyone I love so that you guys can have your way.
I am certainly not willing to do these things to "solve" problems that only arise in an infinitesimal number of medical cases.
That goes double when many of those problems result from bad case management or family meddling.
That goes triple when we can see that other countries and even a U.S. state have gone down this road and found that it leads to coercion of the sick and vulnerable.
If you want to call that simple-minded, go ahead. It's where I'm standing, and the simple facts--and simple compassion--are on my side.
I've lost count of the number of times I've had someone suggest that I have never had to endure the agony of watching someone I love suffer and die.
This is what I mean by simple-mindedness. I presume you believe in the Ten Commandments (Thou Shalt not Kill, etc.) and also support our military actions which involve killing. You hang your hats on "moral absolutism" and then pick, choose and rationalize to prove your points.
Ah, if only it were so simple!
That goes triple when we can see that other countries and even a U.S. state have gone down this road and found that it leads to coercion of the sick and vulnerable.
I agree that when the government gets involved it is a slippery slope. I don't want the government making these types of decisions. That is where it gets tricky.
I don't know what the answer is, but I would like to see an option for people who are in extreme suffering, have no quality of life and do not want to endure it anymore. In such a situation, I consider it a basic human right to end one's life if that is one's personal choice.
Again I have to say, your response is senseless to me. Write about me all you want, just don't ping me, I have better things to do than answer you or read your posts. like cut my dogs nails...
Cerebrus is one of the sane voices on this thread, there were a couple of others, that were worth reading, yours and the other regulars on the (moral absolute) was not amongst them