Suicide: An Ethical Delimna

[robvalue]

Totally agree. In practical terms, and ethical terms, I think education is the only way forward. Any action should be to "protect someone from themselves", but not to be confused with enforcing prolonged suffering of someone who no longer wants to live.

I'm a big advocate of assisted euthanasia. I know all about the slippery slope shit people always wheel out... We'll be marrying pigs... But if done properly, I think for people who really want to die, terminal or not, they should be allowed to do so with dignity. Of course the case should first be fully assessed to check for coercion, and mental stability.

But it could well be that at some point in my life, I will want to die. And I will have made that decision after careful thought. Isn't it better that I can have it done in a proper way, rather than going out and throwing myself off a cliff? Suicide on your own can be messy and unreliable, and making sure you die will often entail other people having to find and clean up your body. I would want to avoid that part of it if possible.