The Right to Die
September 11th, 2006 | by MadHacktress |To live or to die? To be able to control ones own life to the extent that one can choose to end it. One commenter on an article in the Globe and Mail made an excellent point regarding the right to die:
All through one’s life one is told to grow up, take charge of your life, be responsible for your own actions but when it comes to the final decision in one’s life you are not allowed to make it because that act removes all power from both the State and Church. Both of these anal ‘Estates’ are only interested in one thing, control. — Edwardo Plazinski, Maple Ridge, B.C.
I wish I could have said it better than that, but I can’t.
I have always been a proponent of a person’s right to choose. I feel that, if the law gives one human being the right to choose whether or not another human gets to even exist in the first place (i.e. a woman’s right to choose) then why should that person themself not have the same right to choose when that existence ends.
This is, of course, all being dredged up by the exhibit of the “peaceful pill” and the international right-to-die conference in Toronto. Dr. Philip Nitschke of Exit International is there showing off the pill and introducing his book “Final Exit”.
The book outlines the details of creating the pill for yourself (since offering the final product for purchase would be illegal). The barbituate pill, when taken, acts on the central nervous system to end the takers life.
It has long been my contention that people who want to end their lives are going to do so anyhow. We, as a society, force them in to drastic violent means in order to perpetrate these ends. Why should we wish upon our loved ones a gunshot to the head, or walking in front of a train? No one would outright wish such a death on their loved ones, but yet, these are the options that people often seek.
In my own family we have had two suicides by gunshot, one by train and one by hanging - in my lifetime. I wish that any one of them could have gone peacefully, rather than through the violent end they sought. It can only make ones life seem even more hopeless to know that you need to resort to such violence.
I know that people say that suicides would be rampant if a pill was readily available. Perhaps, I can’t know for certain. But, I have to think that the removal of the taboo might just help to save lives, too.
This pill of Dr. Nitschke’s is not a ready made pill. One procures a recipe to create it on one’s own.
Consider a scenario where suicide is legal. A family member is considering the option. But, rather than sneak off to a room someplace and off themselves by swallowing a shotgun, they mention it to you. “Hey, y’know I’ve been feeling down and I’m thinking that I just want to end it. I was thinking about that pill, what do you think?”
Dialogue. Talking about it. Education, reaching out. Maybe even intervention. At least the people who are considering it don’t need to feel like they have no place to turn, that they must keep these thoughts to themselves, further alienating them from their loved ones, from their life.
I know that Nitsche’s pill is only for the infirm and elderly, but in my opinion, I would rather anyone who is determined to end their life have a way to do it peacefully, rather than violently.
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I believe that assisted suicide will bring it out of the closet. People don’t commit suicide to hurt their loved ones they do it to end their pain and suffering. If the pill was available people would talk to their doctors and maybe get the help they need to make their life better and worth living. Also, if one decides to end it they can do so while surrounded by family and loved ones which is much more humane than dying alone…
Hmmmm tough one… I beleive in assisted suicide as well but I don’t think that just anyone should be able to end their life. There are always other options and perhaps with medication or talking with a doctor they will see that life is worth living..
I am sure there are a lot of people who have thought of suicide at one time or another, but pushed on and and ended up having a good life. I have had a few suicides in my family too and it sure can cause a lot of chaos to the ones left behind. I just don’t think anything (except for a major desease or similar proble) is bad enough to end your life..
Xenos - absolutely. I am not advocating arbitrary suicide. I think that “legalizing” suicide would remove the taboo, and hopefully open the subject up for conversation. I am pretty sure that one of the members of my family who killed themself could have been avoided if communication had been there.
Even if not, even if the person were to be steadfast and unwavering in their determination to end their life. Wouldn’t that be better? The family, if nothing else, has the opportunity to be there, to say their goodbyes and get closure. While hard, it could only be better than the sudden and inexplicable loss of a family member to, no doubt, violent means.