Should we be allowed to determine when we die?

Under many conditions yes I think we should be the one to say it is time to go.

I agree with Kevorkian.

I think that under certain circumstances, making sure it is not a decision made from depression, and with certain diagnoses, it should be allowed.

I feel as though we should be able to make that decision even if we’re not terminally ill.

I have a friend who’s terminally ill and talking of suicide. I asked a question about it about a week ago. (Link)

In that week, his health has ebbed and flowed and right now he’s feeling much better. He’s not well, but he’s sitting up. I don’t know what the final outcome will be, of course, but I have to say that had he ended it last week, then he would have been premature.

I am tortured by this question, because of the situation with my friend. I truly don’t know the answer.

Yes actually should determine if or when you die…

Death should never overcome Life except when life decides… not death..

For death serves the purposes of Life and not vice versa..

I’m in pain 24/7 and their are times I feel that Dr Kevorkian would be a God send.

It seems like some people can let go of life, by choice, without any external help. How much suffering is required before we decide it’s ok for them to choose when to go? It seems to me that if other people get to decide if your decision to die is acceptable, then we really haven’t changed anything. Either we allow everyone to choose when, or we allow no one. We have no business telling someone else if their pain is enough so we’ll let them choose when.

@wundayatta I agree.

I support assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. In most other cases, it would probably be better not to know.

Yes.

I think so.

I think I should be allowed to decide when you die.

Anyone who wants to go, can. But I don’t think @markferg is qualified to make those sorts of decisions for anyone else. ;)

If I were terminally ill or if I lost my husband and both daughters all at the same time, that would be it for me. And God save anyone who tried to stop me. :)

Yes, I do think so, and I think assisted suicide should be legal, too. Fine old line to be upheld for assisted in making sure there was no pressure on the one to die.

We’ll serve Soylent Green at the wake.

I think so. If I wanna take a gun, stick it into my mouth, and off myself, it really is nobody’s business but my own. It surely isn’t the business of local law enforcement who are really strangers to me and really, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really care if I live or die so they should really mind their own business.

@everephebe spoil sport!

I’ve read arguments that are passionately against euthanasia with the belief that it is a slippery slope and society would eventually want to off people who are disabled. I don’t believe that. I believe that we could legalize euthanasia and have rules.

I am a little bit amazed that in 2011 we still let people die in agony and imprison those who try to relieve their pain.

Oh yeah! Sign me up for 200 years old in full mobility with the option to renew every 10 years thereafter.

Most definitely. No one has the right to control someone else’s body.

It has always confused me that many of the same kind of people who say we should be able to do that if we feel it’s time, can also be the same who use the suicide by gun statistic as an add-on to how dangerous guns are. Because that is a pretty big chunk of deaths to be horrified about…..these self inflicted headshots.

Pentobarbital would be the way to go.

Hard to watch, but, this is the real deal.

This is another right that is inherent for humans. Thousands of years of religious guilt have convinced many that it is sinful to end one’s own life. It is not sinful. Your life is your own possession and no one else’s. Only you can determine when your quality of life is too compromised to endure.

Anyone’s life is his or her own as it was given to him or her by god or the entity or non-entity of his or her choosing. Anarchy is the law of nature and any other law is the law of man. Man is flawed, so this is no discussion that’s going to go anywhere.

Oregon has assisted suicide.

Anything that has a right to life would seem to have a right to death as well. They are logical compliments. I therefore see no reason for outlawing any form of voluntary euthanasia, though I do support the current limitations we have on involuntary euthanasia.