Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A California judge has overturned the state’s law legalizing assisted suicide, ruling it unconstitutional.
The judge indicated the legislature improperly passed the state law during a special session that was supposed to be specifically devoted to Medicare funding. The judge ruled that the state legislature should not have approved the assisted-suicide law during that special session because the subject of the law fell outside the grounds of the special session.
Euthanasia activists argued in court that assisted suicide is health care and that made it appropriate for the special session. More than 100 people have killed themselves under the law.
Interesting twist in the land of fruitcakes and lollypops.
"The judge ruled that the state legislature should not have approved the assisted-suicide law during that special session because the subject of the law fell outside the grounds of the special session."
If that is true, good for the judge. Tired of the people wanting government to ignore the rules for their causes. Granted I don't know why it is illegal in the first place. Government doesn't own we the people lives. We do. If someone wants to take their own life get out of the way.
If a mentally capable person wishes to take their life, they should be able to do so. Maybe the only thing stopping them is being afraid of failure and living with permanent disability and then no longer being mentally capable, yet in pain.
Well, so it was a technical ruling, not a ruling on the merits of the law.
We here in Texas also have 'special sessions' of our legislature. When the governor calls for a special session (usually just after the regular session has expired), the governor must list the specific issues to be addressed by the legislatures. It is not a 'free for all'.
Apparently, California has the same type of rule. I imagine (but I have not read the decision), the California legislature thought they could 'piggy back' the assisted suicide law onto one of the announced issues. Such is also commonly done during the Texas special sessions, with varying results.
"The judge ruled that the state legislature should not have approved the assisted-suicide law during that special session because the subject of the law fell outside the grounds of the special session."
If that is true, good for the judge. Tired of the people wanting government to ignore the rules for their causes. Granted I don't know why it is illegal in the first place. Government doesn't own we the people lives. We do. If someone wants to take their own life get out of the way.
One of the problems now is that the suicide may have accomplished their goal, but it's the friends and loved ones who may be implicated in their death. Not sure how that works.
I have an "Advance Directive" that spells out my wishes for care at the end of my life whether I can articulate it or not. I know how I want my life to end. I am very comfortable with that.
"The judge ruled that the state legislature should not have approved the assisted-suicide law during that special session because the subject of the law fell outside the grounds of the special session."
If that is true, good for the judge. Tired of the people wanting government to ignore the rules for their causes. Granted I don't know why it is illegal in the first place. Government doesn't own we the people lives. We do. If someone wants to take their own life get out of the way.
The issue here isn't whether or not suicide is legal. I mean, how could you enforce that? I think the number of people who are concerned whether they are buried in consecrated ground to protect them from Satan or from becoming a ghoul in the afterlife is vanishingly small these days.
When you speak of 'assisted suicide', you are talking about whether it is legal for a physician to knowingly prescribe a lethal dose to someone who wants to use that dose to kill themselves. That's what's been illegal. And it carries very serious consequences for the doc and anyone else involved, including prison.
Of course, doctors have been prescribing lethal medications since about forever. "OK, Mrs Jones, I'm giving you a prescription for morphine to help you tolerate the pain from your inoperable and fatal pancreatic cancer. Just be aware that if you take more than the prescribed dose, you could die."
As it turns out, there are better ways to commit suicide than OD'ing on morphine. But in states where physician-assisted suicide is illegal, your doctor can't even tell you about them, let alone give you a prescription if you ask for one.
Last edited by jacqueg; 05-16-2018 at 12:33 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
