My feeling about it is that my own death is just that - mine. And I would reserve the right to terminate it as and when I choose. Having said that the desire for life is very strong and I don't see myself ending it all over much less that a terminal/crippling disease where my life would be effectively over anyway. Pain is one of the things I fear most - and unending, soul-destroying pain will do it for me.
I also feel that if I am physically unable to administer the end for myself I would hope that I can get help from a sympathetic professional or friend if I need it.
I know that assisiting suicide could be a small distance from convenient murder. So, even if a living-will/suicide request has already been prepared, anyone in the position of needing assisitance should first have to be seen by more than one psychiatric professional to establish they are not being in any way pressurised into it.
No-one, in a level frame of mind, wants to die. But when there is nothing in life but pain and your family only look at you with grief and loss already, a person has to have the choice to slip away painlessly.
I know others are totally against suicide of any kind. I have no problem with that and wouldn't attempt to change their opinion. But each person has to choose for themselves and no-one else. And if they forced me to live I life I was desparate to leave, I would consider it an act of the worst cruelty.
I wonder if someone had this idea before - as a way to strengthen the gene pool?
Assisted suicide of the terminally ill? Ok and once that becomes acceptable who next?
Those in a permanent vegetative? state cos really - what quality of life do they have?
Then we can go onto severely disabled, but only those with no quality of life. Then who?
Perhaps those serious anti-social impedfiments? What about introducing a campaign for those mentally ill and imprisoned?
Where is the line drawn?
The clinic in Switzerland to me seems a humane way of ending ones life IF that is what that person has chose to do.
To suffer for months and sometimes years with unbearable pain, is something most of us will not understand. To take that step in your life I am sure is never taken likely.
I think the law here should be changed regarding possible prosecution for anyone getting involved in someones suicide over there. It is their laws not ours.
Saying that I am not sure that I would be in complete favour of that being allowed over here...the whole issue does not sit too comfortably with me.
I can understand why some people choose this route, and maybe I could end up that way.
A really difficult dilemma and a good thought provoking thread.
What a dreadful situation some people find in their lives.
I really do hope they legalise assisted suicide here, having seen what it is like when a family member had a very long and horrific terminal illness. Years of the most unbearable relentless misery, I wouldn't wish even wish on Gordon Brown. It is disgusting that the only way for those who are desperate to be free from the pain and despair is to go to bloody Switzerland, which means they have to be capable of making the journey and have the money to pay for it all.
How can it be that no right minded person would stand by and watch an animal suffer, yet many are so worried about the "morality" of putting a suffering human out of his or her misery? Imagine being in constant unbearable and uncontrollable pain, having an incurable disease, knowing that it is going to continue getting worse until you die in agony with no dignity, laying on your bedsore ridden body waiting for your daily enema because you can't even shit for yourself anymore.
If I was told I was looking at such a death in the future myself I would end it while I was still a able to do it myself which means missing out on the last of my good years, months, days or whatever, because there is mo way that you can ask someone to help you if it means leaving them behind to face prosecution.
We should adopt the same legislation as the Swiss and the sooner the better, I would even volunteer to accompany those going in alone and hold their hands. It is time for politicians and health workers to stop playing god, if they don't want to be involved they don't need to be because some of us still have the compassion towards our fellow human beings to do what is fight for them, fuck the arguments against, I hope those who oppose this don't find out what it's like when the boot is on the other foot, for their sakes! :0(
Breaking news story
Now, I like Ray Gosling. I've enjoyed his many presentations over the years but was he mad to admit to the killing of his lover 30 years ago?
We all know that this subject needs serious debate. Lets just hope Ray comes out of this still intact and that this is not championing one cause too many.
This quote he made made me laugh.. "If he was looking down on me now he would be proud," he said. "Sometimes you have to do brave things and say ... bugger the law."
I wonder why it is that if we leave an animal in pain with a terminal illness and no quality of life we can be prosecuted for cruelty, but if we provide the same release that is expected for animals to a human we are prosecuted for murder. :sad:
An interesting artical.
Make of it what you will.
I wasn't going to be drawn by this one ..... honest, I wasn't ....
But.... well, bugger it, why not ?
OK, first and foremost, what he did was to commit murder.
It's not something that's debatable, it just happens to be a fact that when you take actions that you know will cause the death of another, you have murdered them.
Was it ethically or morally correct ?
I really don't know - and neither it seems, does anyone else.
There is no agreement from his partner that it was a request for assistance, and for all we know, he may have just got sick of him and finished it early to ease his own conscience - who knows ?
If this whole messy area is to be settled, then the law needs an addition (not a change) to allow an assisted suicide WHERE THE WISHES ARE CLEAR.
Anything other than that is still murder.
What like.....
" The terms actus reus and mens rea developed in English Law, are derived from the principle stated by Edward Coke, namely, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, which means: "an act does not make a person guilty unless (their) mind is also guilty"; hence, the general test of guilt is one that requires proof of fault, culpability or blameworthiness both in behaviour and mind ".
Sounds like a case for a true psychologist, or a very good barrister!
They interviewed a very good Barrister on Sky news last night. He reckons that, if the Police don't break his spirit, they will find it very difficult to successfully prosecute this case for lack of evidence.
I guess the ol' bill have to deal with many cranks who admit to murder virtually every day of the week but to bang 'em up for life with no evidence would fill Strangeways twice over!
Every time there is a murder, they don't give out the finer details so they can sift out the ones who claim to have done it but can't match up to the evidence.
Ray admits to murder but there's no body, no-one is missing, no-one is complaining it seems so what to do? The Doctor who signed the death certificate is probably long dead himself as all the nurses and anyone else who might remember the incident. But a death certificate was signed by a doctor - probably with no post mortem and the body was probably cremated so there can be no challenge. Even if there was a body, could forensics actually tell after all this time that the deceased met his end by asphyxiation?
There was no reason to question the death when it occurred. He may still protest his guilt; he may plead guilty if charged but I cannot see a Judge accepting his guilty plea causing a trial to be held requiring evidence from the prosecution. If there is none, the Judge will no doubt instruct the Jury to find him not guilty. The DPP will know this and may well declare it not in the Public interest to move it forward. The best they can do is teach him a lesson by detaining him for the maximum number of hours under questioning to make an example of him and max out on the discomfort caused to him.
Mind you, life in prison might not be so bad for him. The state took everything he owned when they made him bankrupt. It may as well now give a free room, TV, a job in the library and 3 square meals a day till he falls off his perch in lieu of his pension. Maybe he is not as daft as he is cabbage looking!
In edit: now released on Police bail...
GNV.....there has been I think more than once case in the last couple of years, where someone has been found guilty of murder even though no body was ever found.
So even though no body was found in that case he was convicted, and maybe the same thing could happen where this guy has admitted killing someone.
No evidence in either case but a jury could convict if brought to trial.
Will the CPS dare?
