SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS OREGON'S SUICIDE LAW

ap ^

[SoFloFreeper]

BREAKING ON THE AP WIRE:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has upheld Oregon's one-of-a-kind physician-assisted suicide law, rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.

[steelcurtain]

Did I say that? (I'll make it easy for you: NO).

[conservative physics]

I would argue that anyone who wants to kill themselves isn't of "sound mind".

[Fishtalk]

Another was a dear friend who died from the complications of AIDS (yes he was gay, sue me). After watching his skin slough off of his body, the incredible pain he was in, it would have been more humane for him to pass sooner.

There's a million ways to kill oneself.

Now I understand someone in a coma and all that. Plus other extenuating cases. But if a person has a terminable disease and doesn't want to live then that person, or his/her loved ones, can somehow, someway, get medicine that can be overdosed with no pain.

Why on earth does this country insist on getting the medical profession all involved in this matter? Doctors are supposed to HEAL people, not kill them.

Of course I must mention the lovely Dr. Kavorkian who got his rocks off killing people. THAT's the sort of doctor who wants to kill people as I see it.

If you kill your own self, what? they gonna put you in jail?

But oh no. We found a way to make money at it! We can create our own little dying industry. For a small fee, of course.

Not to mention, then I'll shut up, the abuse such a system foments. Like another poster mentioned, soon, given the slippery slope, we'll have OTHER people making decisions to end the lives of those who are a burden.

[FourtySeven]

How can anyone think this is a good decision? Is no one here afraid of the slippery slope possibilities?

Yeah, sure the law in Oregon has "strict limitations", but the PRECIDENT for "legal suicide" has been SET!

What's next? A law that lets people off themselves if they just don't feel like living anymore? What if someone IS in a coma, like Schiavo was, and are deemed to be "unnecessary", like she was? I guess this decision is a good thing for those who supported her killing. Boy, I hope no one reading this now ever finds themselves in that situation!

"Oh, 47 you're just being paranoid, that will never happen". Yeah, right.

< sigh> Forget it. I'm sure this thread will reach 1000+ posts with people focusing on "individual liberties" instead of the larger issue, which is the ENCOURAGEMENT OF DEATH.

Anytime a society permits death as a means to an end, even in the name of "liberty", it cannot, by DEFINITION survive, because it's killing its own people!

It's that simple and I'm done.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Good for him. A man with a conscience and knows the Law.

[Brytani]

Well I do see the hypocrisy in some conservatives who scream Roe should be a states rights issue but this one should not be.

[jaredt112]

Anyone have links to the opinions written by Kennedy and Scalia?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I sympathize with the states rights argument, but states can't do certain things. Taking a life really should be one of them.

Oregon's law is highly regulated. You (or immediate family members) have to sign notarized documents if the patient has a terminal illness. There is no slippery slope here. It's not like anybody can just have the physician put them to death.

Again, excellent ruling by SCOTUS.

[Fishtalk]

See my post right above yours. I'm just as flabberghasted as you.

[conserv13]

Culture of death? How about states rights?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I would argue that anyone who wants to kill themselves isn't of "sound mind".

So it's better if they just die a slow excruciating death?

[Brytani]

Does the Oregon law allow Doctors who, who moral or religious reasons, to refuse to prescribe life-ending medicataion to terminal patients?

[vrwc0915]

No but you can order plenty of medications or chose to double up on the ones you already have.

[conservative physics]

It doesn't make any sense on the surface, but one solves the social security crisis and the other keeps people working productively to feed the federal government tax money, so in that sense it makes perfect sense.

[Cboldt]

It is my understanding that the Oregon law does not allow for a their person to decide a person in sound mind should die. It only allows the patient, with medical agreement, to make the decision for themselves.

The same is true, in principle, in EVERY case. It is the patient deciding for themself. The differences are the time shift between the decision and the death, and the circumstances of the patient at the time of the decision. An advance directive typically has greater time shift, and is made under "happy" circumstances.

[Slip18]

Marijuana has been proven (I wish I had a link) to stop nausea in people taking chemotherapy.

Okay, so it's just fine with you, Huckster, to kill them instead. BS.

[conserv13]

How Roberts pass a 'conservative' test? I thought conservatives were for states rights and the Constitution?

[eyespysomething]

No but you can order plenty of medications or chose to double up on the ones you already have.

Better watch out, DEA will be busting down your door and hauling you off to jail if you have too many drugs at one time.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

FRino

LOLOLOL!

[Bushbacker]

The court won't be conservative until Bush names another justice...even with Alito, you have only 4 conservatives.

What a disaster that Souter, Stevens, Kennedy and O'Connor were all nommed by Republicans! Thankfully, there are many true conservatives waiting in the wings now...