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On the other hand, if I were in no pain or physical discomfort whatsoever, I would not choose to go so easily.  I'd fight to the last breath.

Euthanasia should only be an option if the disease is terminal and the patient is in great pain that no amount of drug can alleviate.  

I also find it interesting (this might be comparing apples to oranges) that we euthanize animals to prevent their suffering, but then go ballistic when the same philosophy is applied to humans.
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I agree 100% with what Rice said.  The question I have about the clinic though, is there any criteria involved in getting a 'spot' (for lack of a better term)?  Does the person have to be terminally ill or can they just do it because things aren't going so well?  

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I also find it interesting (this might be comparing apples to oranges) that we euthanize animals to prevent their suffering, but then go ballistic when the same philosophy is applied to humans.
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I just had a mental image of my father taking me out behind the woodshed to euthanise me with a shotgun when I was in pain from a broken arm when I was younger. :D


Good point Rice.  It is common to shoot/put to sleep an animal if they are suffering, but it is unheard of to do it to a person.

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I agree 100% with what Rice said.  The question I have about the clinic though, is there any criteria involved in getting a 'spot' (for lack of a better term)?  Does the person have to be terminally ill or can they just do it because things aren't going so well?  
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I don't know for sure if it is open to just anyone, but I do know the man featured in the story was terminally ill.  Although I don't recall it mentioning whather or not he has tried traditional medicine or other measures.

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Euthanasia should only be an option if the disease is terminal and the patient is in great pain that no amount of drug can alleviate.  
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I also agree with Rice. Just as long as the amount of drugs given for pain isn't mentally numbing the patient. I'd rather go out by my choice and with dignity than be a drugged up blob.

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That and lets get rid of that  creepy Jack Kevorkian, if assisted suicide had been championed by someone that doesn't resemble a corpse :o, it may have been accepted by now.

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He looks like the drummer from the Stones ;D

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He looks like the drummer from the Stones ;D
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He does!  I guess it could be worse, like resemble Keith Richards. :P

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He looks like the drummer from the Stones ;D
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That's a little harsh on ol Charlie  ;D

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Just because I'm in a veg state or just because I'm too old to take care of myself doesn't necessarily mean I want to die.  
Too many problems with that.
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Then you gotta take it up with the doctors and families who agree that a vegetable is not worth saving when they take him off life support... :-/

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1st need to mention that the Hypocratic oath is not taken by everyone in the medical field, it is not required to get the medical certification.  Many do not agree with it, Steve H posted the oath a month or two ago, it was quite interesting since it was the 1st time I'd seen it, also it was very dated and completely out of touch with the medical proffesion today.
2nd I want to mention that the "Living Will" is getting more and more common today, this is the signed statement that if health fails then you don't wish to have life prolonging procedures administered.  There is requirements for this, I don't know the specifics.
What should be the perameters on Assisted suicide?  That is has been determined that the illness or disease is fatal, that there is not an obtainable treatment available for it that can cease it's progress, (not just slow it down) at the time the agreement was made the patient was responsible for own legal agreements and decisons, and any closest living relative is aware and signs that they are is witness to the agreement.
Lastly-The AS should not happen less than 5 days from the date the orignal agreement was signed and will need to be aknowledged and signed again by the original parties before it takes place.

A question I need to ask, Why was it stated that self suicide is okay and assisted is not?  This is not clear to me, obviously it is not a moral or religious issue if the end result is the same but the methods they are reached varies little.  Assisted suicide takes place in a controlled environment, it is humane and simpler to remove the body and prepare it for burial or cremation.  This will be much simpler for the family to take care of. Christians commonly forget that death is the passaway to the great afterlife so it is not less a sin to allow that person to pass gently as God has deemed to happen then to cheat that passing with drugs and medical equipment?End Quote

Well posted.  :) Saved me the trouble of doing all that typing!  :o  ;D

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Christians commonly forget that death is the passaway to the great afterlife so it is not less a sin to allow that person to pass gently as God has deemed to happen then to cheat that passing with drugs and medical equipment?

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In most Catholic churches, if a person commits suicide, they are not able to be buried in consecrated ground.  I'm not sure if assisted suicide would fall under this, though.

I have a living will, and if I could, I would put in there to end my suffering, if there was no hope.  If I was in a vegetative state, I would rather die peacefully, than live the rest of my live that way.  

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I have a living will, and if I could, I would put in there to end my suffering, if there was no hope.  If I was in a vegetative state, I would rather die peacefully, than live the rest of my live that way.  
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I agree with you here. My father passed away last month, very unexpectedly. He had suffered a massive coronary incident, brought on by accidental electrocution. Now, the three doctors in the ER were able to bring him back for a time, but it is like they pointed out to us, he would have been a vegetable. He had been without oxygen for far too long. So, we let him go. We had to, I just could not see holding someone in a vegetative state for weeks, months, years....it seemed wrong to us. This scenario is different from someone dying from a long painful illness, but it is the same idea. Why make people suffer? IMHO, of course.

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First, the person who wants to terminate their life should have their case reviewed by at least three independent medical experts.  If they agree that the experienced pain is extreme and the probability of recovery is low, then assisted suicide might be justified.  I'd also like to have the patient examined by a psychiatrist to make sure he/she is not ungoing a depressive phase.
I also feel the lethal dose should be administered by a physician who does nothing but assisted suicides.
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With all due respect, All of those steps you described would sky-rocket the already extremely high medical costs already burdening the patient and family. It's not practical or realistic, IMO. Edited to add: I meant Financially. Now.... If the funds were available, it would definitely be the the best consideration. :-/

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I have a problem with assisted suicide.  When, exactly, do we decide "there's no hope?"  And who makes that decision?

This is the direction I'd be comfortable seeing this go.
First, the person who wants to terminate their life should have their case reviewed by at least three independent medical experts.  If they agree that the experienced pain is extreme and the probability of recovery is low, then assisted suicide might be justified.  I'd also like to have the patient examined by a psychiatrist to make sure he/she is not ungoing a depressive phase.
I also feel the lethal dose should be administered by a physician who does nothing but assisted suicides.
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I would hope a person given a terminal diagnosis would have more than one opinion on that.  Steve, can you check with your connections at the hospitial and let us know what the protocol is if a Dr. comes to a terminal call?  I imagine that they would consult others before they tell the patient there is no hope of recovery or cure.  

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First, I agree with Hairspray, but I'm not an advocate of AS.  If it was put to a vote, I'd have to have checks and doublechecks in the process before it'd get my support.
I'll ask around, Race... from personal experience I know the primary physician is usually emotionally involved with the patient and the patient's family and bad news is usually handled pretty delicately. I don't think many physicians ever say there's no hope...

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It focused on a clinic in the Sweden(I think???) where someone wanting to end their life can check in and stay in an apartment-style room for a day or two, then when they're ready,  the clinic doctors mix up a poisonous drink and give it to the patient.  
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SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE !!

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SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE !!
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Soylent Green w/ cream cheese and avacodo isn't bad. ;D

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This is the direction I'd be comfortable seeing this go.
First, the person who wants to terminate their life should have their case reviewed by at least three independent medical experts.  If they agree that the experienced pain is extreme and the probability of recovery is low, then assisted suicide might be justified.  I'd also like to have the patient examined by a psychiatrist to make sure he/she is not ungoing a depressive phase.

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Sorry, but I disagree with this.  By the time a "case" is reviewed by 3 independent medical experts and a psychiatric evaluation done, months could pass.  My grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer.  Within 1 week, it was found to have spread throughout almost his entire digestive system.  He was unable to do anything for himself, had a feeding tube, and was in horrendous pain.  He was diagnosed at one of the top cancer hospitals in the country.  There was no hope.  Thank God he passed away after suffering for less than 2 months, but why should he have had to suffer even that long?  Just so some beaureaucracy could review his case?  I don't think so.  It would have been easier on everyone if his suffering could have been ended sooner.  Like Rice stated, if he were an animal, he would not have been made to suffer.  

However, I do agree that there needs to be stringent requirements as to who is allowed to do it.

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Sorry, but I disagree with this.  By the time a "case" is reviewed by 3 independent medical experts and a psychiatric evaluation done, months could pass.  My grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer.  Within 1 week, it was found to have spread throughout almost his entire digestive system.  He was unable to do anything for himself, had a feeding tube, and was in horrendous pain.  He was diagnosed at one of the top cancer hospitals in the country.  There was no hope.  Thank God he passed away after suffering for less than 2 months, but why should he have had to suffer even that long?  Just so some beaureaucracy could review his case?  I don't think so.  It would have been easier on everyone if his suffering could have been ended sooner.  Like Rice stated, if he were an animal, he would not have been made to suffer.  

However, I do agree that there needs to be stringent requirements as to who is allowed to do it.
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I'm sorry about your grandfather, 80s.  I think passive AS has been practiced for years.  Someone is given slightly more morphine than normal, for instance.  They develop pneumonia and it's allowed to run it's course unimpeded...
I don't think a review would necessarily have to take months.  And, with all due respect to Earl, an animal is not a human.  It's hard to gauge the distress and pain an animal is going through, the care we throw at our pets is nothing compared to what is available for humans...

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 And, with all due respect to Earl, an animal is not a human.  It's hard to gauge the distress and pain an animal is going through, the care we throw at our pets is nothing compared to what is available for humans...
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You're absolutely right, an animal is not a human and it's difficult to gauge the pain an animal is going through.  However, it is very easy to gauge the pain a person is going through.  I am speaking from my heart when I say this...it is not easy to see someone you love withering away, writhing in pain, with no hope for their survival.  My grandfather would have wanted to die with dignity, instead, he was made to suffer.  Had he been an animal, we could have ended his life humanely, no questions asked, but because he was human, he had to die inhumanely.  To me, there is just something twisted and backwards about that.  I don't think anyone or anything should be made to go through that.

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With faxes, e-mails and other forms of nearly instantaneous communication, I don't think an assisted suicide review would or should take months.  Nor a psychiatric screening.  And we would want some safeguards, wouldn't we?  

And almost everyone in late stage terminal illness has the ability to commit suicide without medical sanctions.  This isn't meant to sound flip, or cruel.  It's a simple truth.  Do we consider suicide more legitimate when the lethal dose is administered by a physician?
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No, but with a physician it would be, I would hope, less painful. And someone in the end stage of a terminal illness is most likely not able to terminate their own life, assuming they are bedridden.