Right to die.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by KittenSparkles

A few years back, Frontline did a show on a man with ALS who traveled to Switzerland to use Dignitas to help him die.

You can watch it here - The Suicide Tourist | FRONTLINE | PBS also, the comments section is very good, close to 500 comments.

More and more states in the US are passing this type of legislation- wiki has a nice map of the status of legislation by state: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assist..._United_States

The one problem is that in the states that have approved this, it is restricted to people who are given a terminal diagnosis (within a certain number of months). This leaves out people with diseases like ALS, severe MS, dementia, etc. That is only a short list of very painful, incurable, and disabling conditions which people might decide they don't want to spend decades living with.

We will see increased legislation in this arena over the coming decades as more and more people watch their elderly family members suffer and go through painful, extended deaths. They will decide they don't want that for themselves.

First things first! Currently, only the terminally ill qualify for physician-assisted suicide, and when enough states pass it, only then do we move on to liberalize it, to include Quadriplegics, those with Alzheimer's/dementia, MS, Lou Gehrig's, etc., who are not eligible.

I've heard some say, why go over to Dignitas in Switzerland and pay all that money, when you can merely put a gun to your head?

Well, working in LTC/Rehab facilities for 14 years, I've run into 4, so far, who have come to the facility, because they, somehow, "screwed up", trying to kill themselves. One, at 48YO, was left brain dead, hooked to tubes, who can be kept alive in that condition for years and years. And what a depressing sight!

Another man, in his 40's, shot himself 2X, first time it only grazed his skull, 2nd time he did a lot more damage, and he was rescued just in time by his "Good Samaritan" wife. He spent 13 long months in the Hospital, piecing him back together, then finally released to my facility. He finally got to the point where he could navigate in a wheelchair, and? One afternoon, another patient saw him racing down the roadway to a major busy trafficked roadway, and it was a no-brainer what he was up to: pulling into the roadway, waiting for a speeding car or truck to come by! Again, he was rescued from one more attempt at suicide.

If you looked at the family photo's of this man near his bedside, there's not a glint of a smile in any of those photo's, even in the photo's he looked very depressed. This was a case of long-term depression.

And with Legal 2000 today, if it's known you're becoming suicidal, airing suicidal thoughts, off you go to a Psych Ward, to pound some sense into you, which happened to this man!

Who's opposed to Right to Die? Quite simply, all those whose jobs would be threatened, undermined, and big Pharma.

[nightlysparrow]

Just a few more months for California's law to take effect. More states no doubt will follow. It's what people want.

New California Right-To-Die Law To Take Effect In June « CBS San Francisco

[Terryj]

Originally Posted by longneckone

I think it is SO important to have discussions with family while someone is still healthy and of sound mind. Even if it became legal I would not want to have someone "put me down" because THEY thought it was best. Nor would I want to have to make that decision.

Here in Oregon, the death with dignity act doesn't allow someone other than the individual and their doctor to make the choice to end their life. If the person is unable to make the choice to end their suffering then it falls upon the doctors and family to make that decision. One can not be, as you say "put down", at the whims of their family members, there is a whole different process involved in that decision.