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. :-)
Think of the amount of cases where there would be enough doubt to pursue criminal charges, and all your good intentions of preplanning for your suicide would go out the window. There was just a story about a truly bright professor who found out (or maybe didn't even find out, but was certain) he was terminal. He wrote letters of explanation to all those he cared for, and killed himself. My personal opinion of suicide notwithstanding, he did it in a way that provided some solace for his family and avoided a protracted legal fight to determine if it was suicide or homicide.
You wrote: Don't mistake the ambivalence of the disabled community as support for taking away rights.
I don't support TAKING AWAY rights - I think any doctor found to be negligent of providing care to anyone who needs it, regardless of prognosis is barbaric - I thought that was obvious from my own postings earlier. I simply believe that assisted suicide is too much a slippery slope - too many opportunities to take advantage. The right to extinguish a person's soul from this earth belongs to God - unless said person wants to take it into his/her own hands. Anything beyond that cannot be allowed by law. IMHO, of course.
Good discussion, though. I guess I am really hashing out my position on this subject as we "speak" :)