Assisted suicide - poll

[grizzaholic]

I would have a good comeback but I haven't finished brushing up on my MOD 33 stuff yet. Still a few clips on Youtube I have yet to check out.

I want to take my new MOD 33 duties seriously.

Unless you bring him here I don't care.

Than why are you calling me Barney?

[ASUMountaineer]

I don't understand why people would oppose this, so long as the sick person requests it, who cares?

The state cares. Only it can legally commit murder.

[TheDancinMonarch]

Yet another area where government and society should learn to mind their own damn business.

[YoUDeeMan]

But there just simply has to be some firm guideline.

Says the man who believes in a book with more irregularities, innuendo, and contradictions than the collective history of Congress.

[AZGrizFan]

Yet another area where government and society should learn to mind their own damn business.

Absofuckinglutely. In fact, I think anyone who attempts to commit suicide should be "assisted" by police officers.

I have absolutely NO problem with what the cops in San Fran did a few days ago, letting that guy drown.

[griz37]

Yet another area where government and society should learn to mind their own damn business.

Absofuckinglutely. In fact, I think anyone who attempts to commit suicide should be "assisted" by police officers.

I have absolutely NO problem with what the cops in San Fran did a few days ago, letting that guy drown.

If somebody does not want to be here then let them die instead of being a drain on the system.

[Ivytalk]

Don't agree. Let God/nature/Yahweh handle it.

[CID1990]

Suicide yes.

Being assisted by a doctor? No.

[travelinman67]

only if you have someone pushing it and a DA looking for headlines...

this happens. frequently, and you don't hear about it.

If you have a DA who is applying the law, you mean.

The only way this happens and they get away with it is if there is no autopsy. However, any doctor who does this and gets caught is likely to have his license to practice medicine revoked. I doubt it happens as often as you think.

My guess is what happens more often is that a doctor prescribes a dosage of a painkiller knowing that it will kill the patient, given the patient's condition, but the amount prescribed doesn't raise a red flag that the prescription was intended to be lethal. That's still murder, since the intent was to kill the patient, but likely impossible to prove.

I "knew" a CCRN who explained the "tricks of the trade". Like you say, it's not the simplistic, "...administrer too much morphine...". First, the IV pumps have built-in recorders, as well as manual record keeping. Pain killers are heavily regulated. There are other drugs that cause respiratory failure, but the most common method is unbalancing the meds to precipitate kidney, liver, heart or respiratory failure. Once the "cascade" begins, THEN, they slam the patient with pain killers and wait for the end.
To be sure, I've personally never met or heard of an "angel of death". Anyone who's spent time around a hospital, hospice or skilled nursing facility will know there are times when a dying person's quality of life has deteriorated to a degree they're being "kept alive" in a torturous condition.
Providing comfort, support and facilitating easing of passing is the compassionate choice: Prolonging death is (IMHO) done as much for financial benefit as it is for legal and ethical reasons.

[Pwns]

I mean, I guess I have no problem with it. But Jack Kevorkian was a death-obsessed whackjob who should not be a face of the pro-euthanasia movement.

[JohnStOnge]

I voted no. However, I do not believe that suicide per se should be illegal. A person should be able to end his or her own life if they choose.

"Assisted suicide" is a problem, I think, because it opens the door for people to push others to commit suicide, kill somebody then claim it was assisted suicide, etc.

I suppose I might vote "yes" if sufficient controls could be established to ensure that someone is not pressured into having their life ended, etc. But I don't know if that's possible.

[SuperHornet]

I voted no. However, I do not believe that suicide per se should be illegal. A person should be able to end his or her own life if they choose.

"Assisted suicide" is a problem, I think, because it opens the door for people to push others to commit suicide, kill somebody then claim it was assisted suicide, etc.

I suppose I might vote "yes" if sufficient controls could be established to ensure that someone is not pressured into having their life ended, etc. But I don't know if that's possible.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I mean, I guess I have no problem with it. But Jack Kevorkian was a death-obsessed whackjob who should not be a face of the pro-euthanasia movement.

That is the simple version Pwns but the fact of the matter is that he watched his mother suffer a long painful death and like many other doctors that are inspired to come up with a way to eliminate suffering due to a personal loss he was obsessed with mitigating end of life suffering.

He felt helpless watching his mother die and wanted to help others avoid that same fate.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I voted no. However, I do not believe that suicide per se should be illegal. A person should be able to end his or her own life if they choose.

"Assisted suicide" is a problem, I think, because it opens the door for people to push others to commit suicide, kill somebody then claim it was assisted suicide, etc.

I suppose I might vote "yes" if sufficient controls could be established to ensure that someone is not pressured into having their life ended, etc. But I don't know if that's possible.

I really don't think if this were moved forward that we would ever have to worry about there not being enough safeguards for the procedure. You guys ever...even once not see the lawyers get involved and make sure that they are involved with something even remotely this important?

[Skjellyfetti]

I voted no. However, I do not believe that suicide per se should be illegal. A person should be able to end his or her own life if they choose.

"Assisted suicide" is a problem, I think, because it opens the door for people to push others to commit suicide, kill somebody then claim it was assisted suicide, etc.

I suppose I might vote "yes" if sufficient controls could be established to ensure that someone is not pressured into having their life ended, etc. But I don't know if that's possible.

Well, it's already done in the case where someone is so far gone they can't give approval to have their feeding tube removed or be taken off breathing machines. If they have previously signed legal documentation or expressed their wishes to not be kept alive artificially, the doctors can pull the plug.

But, if they're alive and suffering... they can not choose to have their life ended. They have to suffer indefinitely.

[soul man]

I voted no. However, I do not believe that suicide per se should be illegal. A person should be able to end his or her own life if they choose.

"Assisted suicide" is a problem, I think, because it opens the door for people to push others to commit suicide, kill somebody then claim it was assisted suicide, etc.

I suppose I might vote "yes" if sufficient controls could be established to ensure that someone is not pressured into having their life ended, etc. But I don't know if that's possible.

Well, it's already done in the case where someone is so far gone they can't give approval to have their feeding tube removed or be taken off breathing machines. If they have previously signed legal documentation or expressed their wishes to not be kept alive artificially, the doctors can pull the plug.

But, if they're alive and suffering... they can not choose to have their life ended. They have to suffer indefinitely.

I believe a medical power of attorney (given to someone else) trumps the paperwork.

[AshevilleApp]

Does this seem reasonable? (From Wiki-so take it for what that's worth)

Under the law, a capable adult Oregon resident who has been diagnosed, by a physician, with a terminal illness that will kill the patient within six months may request in writing, from his or her physician, a prescription for a lethal dose of medication for the purpose of ending the patient's life. Exercise of the option under this law is voluntary and the patient must initiate the request. Any physician, pharmacist or healthcare provider who has moral objections may refuse to participate.

The request must be confirmed by two witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient, is not entitled to any portion of the patient's estate, is not the patient's physician, and is not employed by a health care facility caring for the patient. After the request is made, another physician must examine the patient's medical records and confirm the diagnosis. The patient must be determined to be free of a mental condition impairing judgment. If the request is authorized, the patient must wait at least fifteen days and make a second oral request before the prescription may be written. The patient has a right to rescind the request at any time. Should either physician have concerns about the patient's ability to make an informed decision, or feel the patient's request may be motivated by depression or coercion, the patient must be referred for a psychological evaluation.

The law protects doctors from liability for providing a lethal prescription for a terminally ill, competent adult in compliance with the statute's restrictions. Participation by physicians, pharmacists, and health care providers is voluntary. The law also specifies a patient's decision to end his or her life shall not "have an effect upon a life, health, or accident insurance or annuity policy."

[Wedgebuster]

We treat our pets more humanely than we treat our people.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

We treat our pets more humanely than we treat our people.

"That's the thing about WASP's Buddy-boy. They love animals, but HATE people." - Gordon Gecko