How to die in Oregon.

I am for it. I humanely put my animals down at the end of their life when they can no longer live comfortably or w/o pain. I would like to be treated so humanely as well. If death were upon me, and I was in terrible pain, I would welcome an end. If no pain, then, I would be out spending money and traveling!

I don't understand why we do not.

The difference my friend is that your loved furry ones have not the capacity to end their own pain as you do. Suicide is something that you can choose for yourself at any point in time, even if you lack the capacity to move. All you have to do is cease doing anything that prolongs your own life - stop eating, drink nothing, and you will soon die. We choose to euthanize our loved furry ones, they do not choose for themselves. We do it because they are not capable of taking their own life, they lack the ability to reason and understand why they are in such pain. You and I on the other hand, have that ability to reason and understand. Asking someone else to help kill you, to have them commit homicide for your benefit, is perhaps more selfish than taking your own life by your own hand is.

In your opinion.

jmc wrote:

CinnamonGirl wrote: I do not agree with assisted suicide and let me explain why.

I could maybe go for it if death were eminent (very eminent). But helping someone that is depressed kill themselves is a big problem for me. The one guy just in case. You really think keeping something like that in your home is safe? Depressed people do not think rationally. What happens if he has a bad night and just takes it. There were very few controls on this process.

This is now a cultural thing to let people choose. Opening a huge door. I use the same argument when discussing capital punishment. We as humans do not have the knowledge to pull this off correctly. I guarantee we have put innocent people to death in this country.

I thought that the gal in the video "helping" was not that neutral.

Now you may have the argument that we do it for animals. That is COMPLETELY different. Animals do not have the faculties to know what is about to happen to them. And I for one would never put my animal down before they were truly very ill and death was eminent either.

I have other reasons but disagree with how this is being done. It is sick. Sorry but that is how I feel. And you cannot change my mind on it. I can maybe go for doing something like this within hours or maybe a day knowing someone is in severe pain, but that is it. And you could also see how much harder this was for their families. I am willing to stake alot to say that their families will always wonder. I have felt that way when I have had to put down animals. The right time was heart-wrenching.

Death is difficult but I truly believe not letting it run it's course is hurtful. I am not saying anyone has to have my beliefs but as a country and a culture I am in no way ready for these kinds of decisions to be made and to be 'helped' with. I am stating my opinion.

You misunderstand the laws. depression is not a valid reason for assisted suicide. We are talking making a rational adult decision about how we want our lives to end and if I want help I should have it.. It should only be up to the rational, aware, individual. Not anyone else. Seems so simple.

Watch the program. i was shocked at how easy they made it and there is very little control on any of it. That is my problem. The meds the one guy got from the pharmacy were in a pill bottle. I am specifically talking about the guy who wanted to have it just so he felt safe. WTF??? HE had not even made the decision yet. If you are going to do something like this there should be alot more involved. They are helping depressed terminal people decided when their life ends, not ease pain. Mostly out of fear.

PrintSmith wrote: The difference my friend is that your loved furry ones have not the capacity to end their own pain as you do. Suicide is something that you can choose for yourself at any point in time, even if you lack the capacity to move. All you have to do is cease doing anything that prolongs your own life - stop eating, drink nothing, and you will soon die. We choose to euthanize our loved furry ones, they do not choose for themselves. We do it because they are not capable of taking their own life, they lack the ability to reason and understand why they are in such pain. You and I on the other hand, have that ability to reason and understand. Asking someone else to help kill you, to have them commit homicide for your benefit, is perhaps more selfish than taking your own life by your own hand is.

First - have you responded to my cookout???

OK - I guess I don't see it that way. I see it as humane. I love my pets as much as I do my people. I see it as allowing us to die with dignity. I would never let my animal suffer. Why would I want my people to suffer?

MsMAM wrote: I am for it. I humanely put my animals down at the end of their life when they can no longer live comfortably or w/o pain. I would like to be treated so humanely as well. If death were upon me, and I was in terrible pain, I would welcome an end. If no pain, then, I would be out spending money and traveling!

I don't understand why we do not.

:thumbsup:

And it's alot less messy than blowing your head off, and letting LO get their hands on a nice gun.

Or you can go out to the forest and lay down and let nature take care of you.

I have a really hard time with this. As I stated on another thread, I believe only God can make the decision to take a life. The question is, once your are terminal does God require you to live out your span in pain? i believe I would, but I wouldn't force someone else to.

chickaree wrote: I have a really hard time with this. As I stated on another thread, I believe only God can make the decision to take a life. The question is, once your are terminal does God require you to live out your span in pain? i believe I would, but I wouldn't force someone else to.

I understand your religious feelings about this kind of thing. Do you also know that there are folks that may not share those? (Please know, I am not picking at you for them). I always wonder where we get the idea that Euthanasia is not religiously moral. Can you tell me why you think only god can take a life.

I was raised in the church, so I am interested in your thoughts (southern baptist)

Yeah, well I was raised Baptist (American and Southern). If it's my time to go, it's my time to go.

I noticed how no one responded to the fact that of the thousands of people who have died in Oregon since medical assisted death was enacted into law, only 500 have chosen to do it.

And plenty who had the medicine, many more than 500, did not use it.

In my experience, every person who was dying had some depression. No one was thrilled and ebullient about their impending deaths. And these were Christians. So the depression argument doesn't really work for me.

I'm not trying to change your minds. Just quit trying to change mine with your religious opinions.

I went to Five Wishes and filled out the forms so my family will be legally protected for "pulling the plug." DNR, please.

MsMAM wrote: I understand your religious feelings about this kind of thing. Do you also know that there are folks that may not share those? (Please know, I am not picking at you for them). I always wonder where we get the idea that Euthanasia is not religiously moral. Can you tell me why you think only god can take a life.

I was raised in the church, so I am interested in your thoughts (southern baptist)

I can't speak for chickaree, but I can share mine with you in this regard. I do not believe, nor do I think it is the general belief, that only God can take a life, for that is obviously not the case. God would not expect you to forfeit your life instead of protecting it when it is threatened for instance. Nor is the belief that only God should take a life, for clearly His Scriptures include the taking of a life as punishment for committing certain crimes. But it is my belief that He wants us to limit the taking of human life to these instances - self protection and as a punishment. When you assist another person in taking their own life you are doing neither of the above. You are not protecting your own life nor are you punishing the life you are taking. When you commit suicide you are not limiting the taking of your life to these two reasons either.

We are special in His eyes Mam. That being the case, there are also special circumstances for us that do not apply elsewhere. I love my furry ones, as you do, as if they were my own children; but I recognize that they lack my comprehension, my ability to reason and understand at this level. When my father was stricken with cancer, he knew and comprehended why he was in such pain, why he was no longer able to do what he once did, why his independence was devolving into the total dependence of an infant once again. When I lost my Owl, and Spud, Lucky, Boo and Tramp, that understanding was something they were not capable of. Tramp didn't know what a melanoma was. Lucky didn't understand lymphoma. Owl and Spud didn't know what an acquired immune disease was. They didn't know why they were in pain, all they knew was the pain - but I knew and understood. Allowing suffering without comprehension is just as wrong in my eyes as taking life outside of protection or punishment is. That is why I decided to end the pain and suffering of the furry ones I loved so much and believe that only God can to do the same for my Pa or for any of His children.

It is a belief, I will grant you that. A belief that others may not share, I understand that as well. But I can't give my approval to allow something that I view as so intrinsically wrong simply because others may believe differently. I simply can't do that in this instance. I'm sorry, but I can't. It is beyond my ability to accept. It might be my failing, but I can't give my approval, even tacitly.