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assisted suicide?

genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
edited August 2011 in General Banter
Lately, I have been speaking with a number of people who are elderly or increasingly infirm as they age. Aside from anything else, it is tiring to be infirm and tiring to be old. Everyone copes as best they may, but I can't help but think that it might be nice if there were an assisted-suicide option, one not cloaked in the shadow of social disapproval or religious one-upsman-ship.

Young and healthy people can afford an upbeat and somewhat uncaring or politically-correct attitude towards dying on purpose, but I wonder if that is very kind. One woman said to me without whining, "I wish I could die, but I don't know how to do it." And I thought how nice it might be if she had the opportunity to consider her desire in practical terms with someone skilled in the situation.

What do you think of assisted suicide as an option less mired in hand-wringing disapproval or unprovable spiritual assertions?

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    I think (no, I *know*) people have been doing it for thousands of years. It's only our "modern" society with its totally irrational fear of death and its shunning of any discussion having to do with death that has made it criminal.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited August 2011
    I think it's only meant to prevent a larger number of people from offing themselves, just as suicide being illegal in the first place. People equal money and work-force, and nations are built and survive on their numbers. It's really no one's right to force anything upon anyone else, or to judge, but "force" they will continue to exert as they can.

    I for one think if someone wants to die, they should be allowed to die, and allowed to have help if they need it. What are we trying to save? It's not like anyone is going to hell for eternity for it; awareness will come again, and perhaps it will be a better life. Fear is another heavy motivator, and if the people in power believe that suicide has this consequence, it's another reason that they would cringe to allow such a thing.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    I think there may be karmic issues involved. Just briefly, if a person's late-life suffering is a way of living through past karma or building karma for the next life- perhaps suicide is not the answer, karmically speaking. And there is the issue of karma for the person assisting.

    Just some thoughts.
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