(October 4, 2009 at 4:15 am)Saerules Wrote: All it takes is one bullet to the brain... or one severe knife wound to the throat... or one easy leap off of a tall building.Going through your examples one by one:
Why would one need assistance to kill themself?
1) What if they couldn't hold a gun?
2) What if they couldn't hold a knife?
3) What if they couldn't even move to get to the top of the building?
The people we are talking about here are people who have been left incapable of living their life properly. If I were in constant pain, bound to a wheelchair, I'd probably want to die as well. The point of clinics that help you die is that they do it with mercy and compassion. They make sure your last moments are not filled with pain, and that you die peacefully.
Quote:There is no such thing as a mercy killing... for mercy is in showing compassion and forgiveness toward those within one's power to punish or harm. To kill someone because of their misery? This is a killing forged from pity. Killing cannot be done by mercy... and one of the most common shows of mercy is in not killing when one could.What if the person was begging you to kill them, since they were in so much pain? Is that not mercy? I would certainly not be pitying them if they asked such a thing.