Assisted suicide... Tricky subject...

[Neil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13758286 Personally, I think as long as it's VERY carefully controlled, I think it's got to be permitted!

[AcesandEights]

"I believe it should be possible for someone stricken with a serious and ultimately fatal illness to choose to die peacefully with medical help, rather than suffer." Well, I certainly don't disagree with that.

[Danny]

in my opinion if someone has lost there legs and is suicidal for example, thats not time for assisted suicide, thats time for counselling. if you are slowly become a prisoner in an increasingly vegetated body for the rest of their life? yeah if they want to end it rather than suffer for as long as they live its entirely their choice. There are extremes where every day could be a complete nightmare. They shouldn't be forced to suffer through something so utterly debilitating against their will. I say make it legal, have some doctors and counsellors to review the case. if its really the best course of action for the poor people involved let them go in a comfortable setting rather than letting there family do it, botch it and make them worse but not follow through y'know?

[bassman]

Having watched several relatives die a slow and painful death, as most of us probably have, I'm all for it. As mentioned above...as long as they're terminal and suffering in a way that jeopardizes their quality of life, they should have the choice. However, someone losing a limb or something traumatizing but NOT life-threatening just needs help. When you have a relative die and you actually feel RELIEVED for them finally passing, it makes you look back and think that maybe Kavorkian wasn't such a bad guy...

[MinionZombie]

Bassman makes an important point, and personally I'm all-for the option to be there for those that truly deserve/require/need/want it. Naturally it goes beyond someone who's clinically depressed about something happening to them, and should be in the territory of those who are dying before their time due to an unwanted disease or illness that cannot be cured. Pratchett made another good point - it should be called "assisted dying" rather than "assisted suicide", and while it's just terminology, I'd agree on that point to. On the basic issue though, I agree that it should be available to those who require it and those who can choose for themselves what they want to do with their own lives.

[shootemindehead]

I'm for it too. Always have been, even before I had to go through the experience of watching loved ones die slowly. They're not the memories one wants to be left with, or leave behind.

[Legion2213]

I think most people would think pretty carefully about ending their lives, you'd have to be in a pretty bad state (medically) to really want to finish it all. Safeguards should be in place of course...don't want people cynically bumping off unwanted relatives for money or just because they can't be arsed caring for them anymore. People should have the right to die with a bit of dignity if they are leading what we would think of as a tortured, painfull existance. For some, it may be the only thing they have any control over when they reach a certain point of debilitation.