RoR: Forum

I totally agree with you, I just wish someone would find the cure to pain suffering and death, so that we may live forever.

Post 1

Monday, October 10, 2005 - 2:35am

You know, if people didn't die of natural causes, then traumatic death would become the big fear. We would all hole-up in our houses, and become afraid of everything, scarcely living at all. Indeed, it is the certainty of death which allows us to live!

Craig

(Edited by SnowDog on 10/10, 1:17pm)

Post 2

Monday, October 10, 2005 - 6:01pm

One's life is one's own, so any law that prevents one from chosing its end is wrong.

There are a few details to work out, though, in particular about assisted suicide. In particular, how can contracts be written to distinguish between assisted suicide and murder? One would have to think that person that seeks death would always need to be able to back out at any time.

Another issue might arise if the contract was made under bad circumstances. Is the person who seeks death in full command of his facilities? Does he really know what he is agreeing to?

Those are some practical questions to think about, from a legal perspective. The political principle is that everyone has a right to their own life. The good society would take care to follow it in all situations.

Post 3

Monday, October 10, 2005 - 8:56pm

Lindsay
I agree that Mr Law is not a murderer - mens rea, mea culpa and all that. But I stop short of calling him a hero. I understand the logic behind your comment, and it must have taken extreme strength to commit the act - committed under extreme personal stress no doubt.

I also agree that your life is your own and like you if the need arises I will also choose MY time, but I do not believe I will be asking someone to step up and do the job for me.

There have been similar cases in NZ over the years and they have ended favourably for the victims friend, remember the paraplegic case a few years ago where a friend did as he was asked and suffocated his mate. Has the debate moved anywhere from that incident? Doesn't sound like it.

But at what point does the layman cross the line and become a murderer? Remember Nancy Crick? She was the Australian woman who convinced all around her that she had cancer and took her own life, only for the autopsy to reveal that there appeared to be nothing wrong with her. Would an accomplice feel like a hero in that instance, or a fool?

I just feel uneasy about assigning the Hero tag under such circumstances.

Clarence - there is quite a lot known about this case in NZ by the general public. Also, unlike the US, NZ does not define murder by degree. That makes the case a little trickier from a prosecution viewpoint, and does not afford the Police as much room to manoeuvre as you might be used to in the land of the free. Nevertheless, you raise the issue of murders being committed under the guise of assisted suicide, and that is always going to be a thorny problem for investigators.

(Edited by Daniel Roy McNaughton on 10/10, 11:41pm)

Post 4

Monday, October 10, 2005 - 10:48pm

Alright, you're the police and you arrive at this guy's house and see that this guy killed this wife and then tried and failed to kill himself. He tells you this story about how he and his wife had this compact to kill each other if they become infirm. How can ya'll stand there and say he's a hero knowing jack shit about this case? He could have just as easily gotton sick of taking care of her and then concocted this whole story to save his own ass.

But thats beside the point, my point is that even if ya'll had ya'lls way and assisted sucide was legal, I'd still be looking at this guy for murder. You can't just kill someone out of the blue and claim they wanted it.

As for me, like I've said several times before; if you want to kill yourself, grab a gun like a normal person. If you shoot through the mouth then the exit wound in the back of your head is covered by the coffin's pillows. As I said in a recent post, I don't want doctors involved because like it or not, in our society now that means the gov'ment is involved and that slope is too slippery for me.

I'm a damn athiest like most of ya'll and that means we only get one shot at this life so pain or not I ain't going nowhere until my body fails me. Its a choice, fine, just keep those damn sucide doctors away from me.

"Soylent Green is people!"

(Edited by Clarence Hardy on 10/10, 10:48pm)

Post 5

Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 5:18am