Should suicide be legal?

I personally think that it's your life and if you want to end it, go for it. It's none of "their" business what you do as long as it doesn't mess with other people or their rights...

Lil Bitchiness> Ah, good point. Terminally ill people, who’re going to die anyways, and may suffer a lot of pain should have the option.
But then: Maybe the cure arrives tomorrow????

h0ck3yh0rr0r> Yes, suicide is a sad thing. Depressions are a terrible thing – I suppose we probably all have experienced once or twice in our lives, that things just SUCK. That there seems to be nothing worth living for – first broken heart as an example. But then life changes, things get better – and we’re glad we DIDN’T die.

Kalantiaw> I can’t speak for every country on the Earth, but it’s illegal here in DK. I know of a clinic in, hmmmm, Austria or Switzerland or…, where terminally ill people travel to get assistance in dying.

Darth> It does sound strange: Suicide is illegal. I suppose it’s the knowledge, that in many cases (barring terminally ill, and old people in pain), the person attempting to take his/her own life, may be crying out for help. As was mentioned above, suicide can also be a danger to others, people who jump in front of trains, will leave the train-driver with a trauma for the rest of his life.

Peloquin> Freedom is good, yes. But what about the case with the elderly being pressurised by poor relatives to chose death, because they cannot afford health-care? Of course, that discussion could turn to one ON health-care, and that society should take care of the elderly who can’t afford it.
But am I truly free when I make a choice? (An oldie from the Matrix forum).

It seems to me, that most forumites here agree, that the terminally ill, old people in a lot of pain, and clinically brain-dead (who’ve signed a will), should be allowed to die with some dignity. Imagine growing so old and helpless, you need a nurse to wash yourself, go to the toilet and eat? That’s undignified.
But where do we draw the line? We seem to agree that otherwise healthy people, who’re in a state of depression should get help getting better, not killing themselves.

Should suicide be legal?

There's so many grey areas in the law but when it comes to the subject of choosing death, there's suicide or euthanasia: Voluntary, non voluntary, passive and active.

In cases of terminal illness, should people have the right to die if they wanted to? Currently in the UK euthanasia is illegal, but in Amsterdam it isn't, however it would need the agreement of 2 doctors.
For what reason would it be valid to end life?
-Depression?
-Painful terminal illness?
-coma???

Coma patients dont' get to choose whether to live or die, so I thats non-voluntary euthanasia - but do they still have rights? In natural law they would, human rights.

But we live in a legal positivist state (I think) well, a law's a law and we have to obey it otherwise we'd get punished. We're not allowed to take our own life because its against the law.

However, if suicide fails, would living with the punishment make the person want to attempt suicide again??

There should be state punishment for those who violate the law - but only if it harms another person. If its self-harming its a private act, should the law really get involved?

Ok, so smacking the crap out of your child is a private act, but then its a concern so the law does come into domestic violence. Then again its harming another person.

But self harm - the right to privacy?

Like before the 1967 homosexual act, that being the year where it was no longer a legal problem to be a homosexual, it was against the law! Because it was "morally incorrect."
But again, if its not harming another person, is it really the law's business?

Just an example - a few years ago a group of sadist masochists filmed their bedroom acts and the tape got found. It then fell into the hands of the state. These guys then got done for GBH.
However - it was their own private act, something they wanted to do. If there was consent - should the state intervene?

Its hard to say because then if person A asked person B to kill and eat them (that case in Germany) its down as maslaughter, even with consent.

And operations are a risk of causing bodily harm too, but its not illegal. We sign a consent form before the operation takes action.

So many grey areas... Thats my essay for now.

🙂

I think it should be, I never got why it is illegal in the first place

kind of hard to punish someone for committing suicide so I dont think it is illigal, imoral yes not illigal

in belgium committing suicide is illegal, you sure it is legal in norway finti?

When did people lose the ability to choose their own destiny? If someone's crazy enough to commit suicide, then let them commit suicide. It's their choice and they should live with it (or should i say die by it.) I just think that suicide shouldn't be done in a messy or public way. Don't jump off a building and splat on the side walk, and don't blow your brains out against a wall.

How many people talking about this have ever actually tried to commit suicide? And I shall rely on people answering this that these were genuine attempts; not veiled cries for help.

imho, it should be legal
if you really want to end your live because of something, it's your choice not the choise of someone else.

Though, those who want to do it should be maken aware that there are people out there who can and will help them AND that some problems may seem as a bad thing at first but given time are rather trivial

who cares if it's legal or not.
A suicidal won't think at that, before he kills himself....
How can the law punish him 😬...if successful 😉

it depends, cause most people that say "I'm gonna kill myself" just cry out for attention, so if needed they can obviously be stopped, that and their undertaking failing miserably

those who DO want to commit suicide will in most cases not tell it to others

all imho of course

Originally posted by Dexx
who cares if it's legal or not.
A suicidal won't think at that, before he kills himself....
How can the law punish him 😬...if successful 😉

I used to wonder what the punishment for a dead person would be.

No funeral? hmm.

i think if you are terminally ill or have some sort of disability meaning that you have no quality of life then you should be able to apply for a 'suicide license' through a law court and if your case is seen to be fair then the state will kill you in a humane way.

people shouldnt be allowed to jump in front of trains etc as this affects other people.

I think that it should be legal because if you want to die its completely different from ending the life of anthoer who doesnt

i also think that assisted suicide/Uthanasia should be legal because if someone is terminally ill or is in a vegetative state and they feel that the pain is too much and they feel that life just isnt worth living anymore then why should they have to suffer?

that is NOT for somebody to decide. 😬
...when you are entitled to kill someone

but what if you're in a vegitative state and can't communicate your desires to the outside world. have you ever heard or seen the music video for "One" by Metallica. This guy gets wrecked by a land mine and he can't talk, hear, see, smell...but i think he can feel. He lost his arms and legs and during the song he cries out for help...but no one can hear him. it's really moving.

Hey Raz, this isn't exactly the same thing.... oh well..

Killing one's self should be legal IMHO, but there still should be people attempting to stop it...it's just that if someone fails to commit suicide, they shouldn't be punished for it... have they not been punished enough that they have decided to do sunch a terrible act in the first place ?

people attempting suicide don't get punished like jail terms...they give that to people who assist in the suicide, like Dr. Kevorkian. People who attempt and fail to commit suicide go to a psychiatric hospital...

Perhaps suicide is seen as a psychotic thing to do because it *just isn't socially acceptable*