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To: Gondring
Perhaps that's why many people who are trying to take away peoples' right of self-determination

Bottom line, suicide is not illegal. Or easy to carry out. And I believe it should stay that way.

You want to "assist" in a suicide, you do it at your own risk. I don't see any reason to change the laws - it is just too difficult after the fact to determine if that is truly what the deceased wanted.

277 posted on 12/02/2004 7:50:02 PM PST by sandalwood (Pat Toomey for Governor (PA))
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To: sandalwood
I tried cooling off before posting, and re-wrote my original reply. Here's what I came up with.

Bottom line, suicide is not illegal.

That's a slight-of-hand argument that's typical for those who thinks government is better suited to run our lives but don't want to come right out and say it.

While suicide might be not be proscribed legally, it is banned in a practical sense. Although things vary by state, if you were to openly plan or make a public announcement (e.g., farewell to family) of self-deliverance, you would generally be met with forced incarceration.

Frankly, I believe such de facto legislative methods are cowardly and debase our republic, but that's a more general topic for another discussion.

Secondly, I find your lack of concern for the disabled to be callous. You might see no reason to change the laws, but perhaps you should consider that many of us find ourselves unable to act alone, especially as we age or find ourselves in a terminal condition. Don't mistake the ambivalence of the disabled community as support for taking away rights. Many disabled persons are acutely aware of how their desires are ignored every day, and are rightly concerned that things can only be worse when they are unable to fight for their needs themselves.

Therefore, we owe everyone a very strong commitment that they can have their wishes met after they cannot do things themselves----------whether it's for continued care, or a merciful escape. Might this mean strengthening the restraints against unwelcome euthanasia? Perhaps, but only if it is part of an effort directed at meeting all patient's wishes, not just a restriction in general.

IMO, of course. :-)

282 posted on 12/05/2004 8:58:54 PM PST by Gondring (They can have my Bill of Rights when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!)
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