Should assisted suicide be made legal in the UK?

[plekhanov]

Really? Do yoy know this for a fact??

I've known it as an abstract fact since the policy was introduced.

 

Last year I had to see it in action when the decision was taken to stop attempting to keep my Grandma, who had alzheimer's, then a series of strokes which left her increasingly incapable and suffering continual fits, alive any more. Food & fluids were stopped, though she was still medicated to try and control the fits. She took 10 days to die it's hard to know how much she suffered in that time what with the alzheimer & all the strokes but when she came round she seemed rather distressed.

 

After having witnessed that I'm all the more certain that if I'm ever reduced to such a state I want an injection which will end my life in minutes not hundreds of hours suffering from my assorted grievous ills combined with hunger & desperate thirst.

 

Also, are patients who are this sick (on the edge of dyeing) not usually unconscious?

I don't know about what's usual but my Grandma was certainly conscious some of the time, though never capable of any form of communication never mind speech which she'd lacked for over a year.

[erebus]

We do have a legalized assisted suicide arrangement, and it has worked successfully for many years. An average of 30,000 additional people dies each year through it, above the normal death rate. This coming year the crop of deaths could be an all time high and its as stated completely legal.

 

We assist suicides in tens of thousands through the process of NEGLECT, where they die and no individual, organization or managerial process is accountable. Prior to this years, 2011-2012 assisted suicide, the old, poor, and helpless are given the choice, which is basically how they wish to die. The choice is between eating or heating, and either choice is a suicide pact with nature in a cold snap. You can check out government figures, of the yearly cold snap crop of lemmings.

 

This year the propaganda by the greedy energy providers have stated that the rise in costs is 19%, which is true for those with money to burn lots of units. Sadly the old and poor do not have this luxury, and the actual way the energy companies have constructed the rise is interesting. It is what is called FRONT LOADED. On you bills you will see the first 250 units are a higher price then using more than this unit. The old and weak, ill cut down on their consumption of energy and rarely use 250 units, and these units have been raised by 30% which is much higher than the stated yearly rise of around 190 pounds.

 

So this year the energy companies will assist more suicides than possibly ever before, thus why go to Switzerland, just join the old and weak in their yearly struggle to stay alive. JOB DONE! And its completely legal too!

[Bonzo77]

Thanks for the effort, but I meant evidence that shows Dignitas FLOUTING THE LAW. You appear to have misunderstood the law on assisted suicide in Switzerland.

 

"In Switzerland, assisted suicide falls under Article 115 of the Swiss penal code. As such it is a crime if and only if the motive is selfish" -from this source.

 

20% of people ended their life at Dignitas because they had a weariness of life.

 

Is this not a selfish motive?

[RootsBooster]

20% of people ended their life at Dignitas because they had a weariness of life.

 

Is this not a selfish motive?

 

I don't know, how should we evaluate and judge that?

 

 

EDIT: we could argue that ALL reasons are selfish

[Twiglet]

20% of people ended their life at Dignitas because they had a weariness of life.

 

Is this not a selfish motive?

 

Especially if you're being paid £10,000 to help them...

[Bonzo77]

I've known it as an abstract fact since the policy was introduced.

 

Last year I had to see it in action when the decision was taken to stop attempting to keep my Grandma, who had alzheimer's, then a series of strokes which left her increasingly incapable and suffering continual fits, alive any more. Food & fluids were stopped, though she was still medicated to try and control the fits. She took 10 days to die it's hard to know how much she suffered in that time what with the alzheimer & all the strokes but when she came round she seemed rather distressed.

 

After having witnessed that I'm all the more certain that if I'm ever reduced to such a state I want an injection which will end my life in minutes not hundreds of hours suffering from my assorted grievous ills combined with hunger & desperate thirst.

 

 

I don't know about what's usual but my Grandma was certainly conscious some of the time, though never capable of any form of communication never mind speech which she'd lacked for over a year.

 

I agree with you. I think everyone should have the potion. But you wouldn't be able to go to a clinic such as Dignitas in such a state. They will only medicate people who can make the choice themselves, there and then. You would have to visit them well before you were due to die of natural causes.

[RootsBooster]

Because the potential for abuse of the relaxation of this type of law is massive.

 

There is abuse of many kinds of existing laws already, criminals walk free everyday due to solicitors/lawyers finding loopholes and clauses.

[Bonzo77]

Especially if you're being paid £10,000 to help them...

 

They are a none profit organistation. You pay £10,000 to fly over there, killed, all the paperwork is completed and then they fly you home. It isn't £10,000 for everyone, a local for example.

[Twiglet]

They are a none profit organistation. You pay £10,000 to fly over there, killed, all the paperwork is completed and then they fly you home. It isn't £10,000 for everyone, a local for example.

 

For a local it's still well over £3,000.

[RootsBooster]

Especially if you're being paid £10,000 to help them...

In that case you could say that Kwik-fit are selfish because they charged you £55 to fit a tyre, or Blundells are selfish because they charged you £145,000 for a house.