[Serious Thread] Assisted Suicide.

[KrazyHorse]

The only problem I have with that case is that:

a) I think that the contract needs to be more fully documented
b) The one committing suicide needs to be able to change their mind at any moment
c) If somebody changes his mind who will pay the medical bills?

[Drake Tungsten]

I looked it up and that German murder/suicide pact didn't involve Craigslist. I apologize to Craig and his fine employees and pray that they won't sue me.

On the main topic, my personal view is that we should restrict people killing other people as much as possible. I'm anti-death penalty, so warfare and the use of lethal force by the police would be the only exceptions to the general rule of not killing others that I would allow.

[KrazyHorse]

I thought it was craigslist too. (you're talking about the case with the fricasseed penis, right?)

[Drake Tungsten]

I thought it was craigslist too. (you're talking about the case with the fricasseed penis, right?)

Yes. The site was apparently "The Cannibal Cafe"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes

[Drake Tungsten]

This is what happens when you let ghouls like NYE legalize assisted suicide...

http://www.katu.com/news/26119539.html?video=YHI&t=a

[Kuciwalker]

I'm not inclined to watch that video.

[Drake Tungsten]

The description tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

[BlackCat]

I'll take the non-**** version of this argument:

3) assisted suicide may or may not be murder currently (depends on jurisdiction). Doesn't affect its morality. If it's not wrong to kill yourself then it's not wrong for somebody else to help you kill yourself more painlessly/easily. Freedom of contract. It may be wrong to ASK a friend or relative to kill you because of the emotional burden this places on them. Still, it's not a matter for the law. If assisted suicide is against the law, the law should be changed.

Problem is that St Jon's case isn't about assisted suicide. Debbie could on her own had traveled to Switzerland on her own and have committed suicide while her husband had been home drinking tea and wacthing football.

[C0ckney]

a little legal background to this. assisting a suicide is illegal under UK law (the 1961 suicide act) and so it would be impossible for an organisation like dignitas to operate here. with assisting a suicide abroad the position has been less clear. what happens in practice is that the director of public prosecutions has discretion over whether to bring charges against the person(s) responsible for assisting the suicide. there have been many cases (between 100-200 IIRC) of people travelling to switzerland to die, accompanied by their loved ones, and, in every case, the DPP has declined to press charges.

personally, i believe this ruling will bring some much needed clarity for people like debbie purdy and i think she was extremely brave to take her fight this far.

it doesn't however, do much to allay my fears about assisted suicide and any potential de-criminalisation (or legalisation). while i agree in theory with the argument that people should have the freedom to decide how, where and with whom they die, i think there is a real danger of vulnerable people being pressured to end their lives (through being made to feel that they are a burden for example). i would be interested in hearing about how countries which allow assisted suicide have approached this issue, and have they have dealt with cases (if any have arisen) where someone has been pressured to end their life prematurely.

[KrazyHorse]

Problem is that St Jon's case isn't about assisted suicide. Debbie could on her own had traveled to Switzerland on her own and have committed suicide while her husband had been home drinking tea and wacthing football.

You're a ****ing moron, dude.

The assistance being given in this case which would be subject to prosecution under UK law is the assistance granted on UK soil, namely the assistance and support of helping his wife get on the airplane and accompanying her.

[St Jon]

Problem is that St Jon's case isn't about assisted suicide. Debbie could on her own had traveled to Switzerland on her own and have committed suicide while her husband had been home drinking tea and wacthing football.

No it isn't, entirely. What it is about a very sick lady who could have as much as 3 years left to live. The fact is that she has less than 1 year left to function as an independent human being. She and her husband wish deeply to spend THAT remaining time together. The price to be paid for that prior to this judgement was that she would either have spent a period of years totally devoid of basic human dignity or that her husband would have faced criminal action leading to probable imprisonment.

A sad fact missed in all the legal arguments here in the UK is that this is actually a matter where 2 people love eachother deeply and wish to be together, even at the very end, all the time they can. To have upheld the previous legistlation would have robbed them of the very last few months they can be together as a genuine couple.

[BlackCat]

No it isn't, entirely. What it is about a very sick lady who could have as much as 3 years left to live. The fact is that she has less than 1 year left to function as an independent human being. She and her husband wish deeply to spend THAT remaining time together. The price to be paid for that prior to this judgement was that she would either have spent a period of years totally devoid of basic human dignity or that her husband would have faced criminal action leading to probable imprisonment.

A sad fact missed in all the legal arguments here in the UK is that this is actually a matter where 2 people love eachother deeply and wish to be together, even at the very end, all the time they can. To have upheld the previous legistlation would have robbed them of the very last few months they can be together as a genuine couple.

Well, I quite agree, but sometimes you have to hammer a fact in one nail at a time - otherwise it get's too complex to understand for the reciver

[KrazyHorse]

Still following me around, desperately trying to find something to correct me on and making yourself look like a fool, I see.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find a typo eventually, you buffoon.

[BlackCat]

Problem is that St Jon's case isn't about assisted suicide. Debbie could on her own had traveled to Switzerland on her own and have committed suicide while her husband had been home drinking tea and wacthing football.

You're a ****ing moron, dude.

The assistance being given in this case which would be subject to prosecution under UK law is the assistance granted on UK soil, namely the assistance and support of helping his wife get on the airplane and accompanying her.

You are partly right - it's not about "assistance and support of helping his wife get on the airplane" - it's all about accompanying her on the travel.

[BlackCat]

Still following me around, desperately trying to find something to correct me on and making yourself look like a fool, I see.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find a typo eventually, you buffoon.

Nah, I'm quite sure that your typing are quite good, so no need to comment on that - I just look at the content.