Here's the problem. Briefly, my background includes care for seniors (adult foster care) and I live in Oregon.
There is a current Oregon case where the daughter thought the ill mother should participate in assisted suicide. The original doctor said he thought the mother was depressed (could be since the daughter wanted her dead, soonest). Daughter went doctor shopping, and found one who thought that assisted suicide made sense and the lady is dead. Fellow Oregonians who have better details or the names involved, please chime in.
In another case a number of years ago, not involving Oregon's assisted suicide law, an elderly gentleman was held captive in the basement of his own house and nearly starved to death. His children wanted the house and the estate for themselves. Since they are dumb, as well as evil and lazy, they sent the dad out to get the mail and the gentleman asked for help from the postman, who knew him before.
After months in a foster care, away from his wonderful? children, he made a full recovery and was able to live independently again. If assisted suicide were available at that time, I have no doubt that there would have been coercion by his relatives. I was not involved directly, but know someone who was.
The Netherlands, a classic example of slippery slope results, is now killing infants and people who the doctor thinks shouldn't want to live (the doctor never having spoken to the patient.) Then there's Terri Schiavo (sp?)
So, quiz questions. Do you think that those who want to commit suicide can do so without government approval or doctor assistance? I understand that a plastic bag over the head works pretty well based on Derek Humphrey's information. Do you think that those who have a financial interest may want to encourage and/or coerce assisted suicide? In an era of extremely costly medical care, where much of the cost is weighted toward the end of life, would there be a financial interest for the HMO's (or for that matter government funded insurance like Medicare and Medicaid) and/or the physicians to encourage assisted suicide for those who are less able to make their own decisions?
Those are just some of the problems. If someone wants to croak themselves, I disagree with that based on the God- given sactity of all human life, but I certainly wouldn't interfere(except on the basis of friendship, if I was involved in the circumstances). I would also hope that they would do it in a way that doesn't injury someone else.
However, government and medical approval for the same is a very, very bad idea. By the way, it turns out that most of the Oregon cases have not involved intractable pain, but fear of loss of autonomy.
That said, undertreatment of pain, particularly in the terminally ill, is a disgrace. There are organizations that will work with the individual - hospice, Physician's for Compassionate Care - to make sure that does not happen. I had an aunt who died in severe pain that was completely unnecessary because no one intervened to be sure she was medicated enough. My Dad died recently of cancer and heart disease and with the assistance of hospice and we kids, he stayed comfortable and at home til the end.
And, folks who talk about suicide often choose to live once the underlying pain problem and depression are addressed.
So, that's my take. Not arguing for arguing's sake, but there is another side to the problems you mention.
Blessings,
yeah, you make some excellent points. I mentioned in my original post, "...provided there are checks to make sure the person is of sound mind, and that no one third partyu is trying to take advantage of them..."
Obviously, these are not simple feats to achieve, and the issues with care providers possibly encouraging assisted-suicide is downright terrifying. if we could come up with solutions to these problems, which are seperate from the underlying ethical issue at hand, then I firmly believe the people have the inherent liberty to die if they so choose.
My point, essentially, is that while the problems you discussed are by no means trivial, they are still simply ABUSES of the system.
thanks, i enjoyed reading your post