Discussion Should Suicide be Legal ?

[spellbound]

I feel like most of us would want suicide to be accessible, but what rules should govern this ? How can we, as a society, determine who's worthy of killing themselves ? Would one have to pass a psychological test ? Should minors and people with mental disabilities be banned from it ?
Or should it stay hard to access to ensure only true suicidals are committing ?

 

[Smiles & Giggles]

Every single person is worthy of killing themselves. Death is everyone's best interest.

 

[RoachClassified]

absolutely, every person has a right to die because they didn't choose to be born in the first place. unfortunately, euthanasia is the maximum we will get

 

[spellbound]

absolutely, every person has a right to die because they didn't choose to be born in the first place. unfortunately, euthanasia is the maximum we will get

So do you feel like, in a hypothetical scenario, a 12 year old should be provided with the means to end their life, no questions asked ?

 

[OkayFine]

Isn't it only illegal in places that are quite socially oppressive?

 

[LonelyPrince]

Didn't ask to be born so the least would be giving us a peaceful way out.

 

[Lamentice]

It shouldn't be illegal at all, it's crazy to criminalize someone for suicide/attempted suicide; it's not helpful, it's not preventative, it's not anyone's business, it's fucking stupid.

However, assisted euthanasia I do believe should be regulated. Minors can't consent to major life decisions, so for one I think anyone under the age of 25 should be disqualified (with exemptions based on extreme disability), just let the brain finish developing first. Beyond that, someone should have to pass extensive psychoanalysis & any other accessible methods of potential treatment should be exhausted. It's just too exploitable otherwise. Do I think with these regulations that euthanasia should be accessible everywhere? Abso-fucking-lutely.

 

[spellbound]

However, assisted euthanasia I do believe should be regulated. Minors can't consent to major life decisions, so for one I think anyone under the age of 25 should be disqualified (with exemptions based on extreme disability), just let the brain finish developing first. Beyond that, someone should have to pass extensive psychoanalysis & any other accessible methods of potential treatment should be exhausted. It's just too exploitable otherwise. Do I think with these regulations that euthanasia should be accessible everywhere? Abso-fucking-lutely.

I do somewhat agree with you, and I do feel that psychoanalysis should be a necessary step, but at the same time I feel like that could turn nightmarish for a suicidal person to have to convince a pro-lifer psychologist to grant them the right to die. You know how these people be, tryna fix everything. I just don't know how we could prevent this kind of abuse yk ?

 

[Lamentice]

I do somewhat agree with you, and I do feel that psychoanalysis should be a necessary step, but at the same time I feel like that could turn nightmarish for a suicidal person to have to convince a pro-lifer psychologist to grant them the right to die. You know how these people be, tryna fix everything. I just don't know how we could prevent this kind of abuse yk ?

That's fair, honestly the MH industry is extremely flawed systematically and stock full of bad actors :/ I don't know how that abuse could be avoided either.

 

[Leichengeist_]

How could one make it illegal? You can't arrest the dead. Even so, anyone is worthy of suicide, it's a matter of personal choice.

 

[vitbar]

How could one make it illegal? You can't arrest the dead. Even so, anyone is worthy of suicide, it's a matter of personal choice.

In some times and places survival means you get prosecuted for attempted murder.

 

[RoachClassified]

So do you feel like, in a hypothetical scenario, a 12 year old should be provided with the means to end their life, no questions asked ?

hypothetically, I don't think it would be allowed to provide suicide assistance for 12 yo. because legally they're not old enough to make their own decisions

 

[spellbound]

hypothetically, I don't think it would be allowed to provide suicide assistance for 12 yo. because legally they're not old enough to make their own decisions

That's the point of my question, who should be able to be provided with suicide assistance ?
Anyone over 18 ? What about people with serious mental disabilities, or people in the middle of a delirious episode, or intoxicated ? Should anyone over the age limit get suicide assistance regardless of their mental state or should their be some kind of psychological test ?

 

[RoachClassified]

That's the point of my question, who should be able to be provided with suicide assistance ?
Anyone over 18 ? What about people with serious mental disabilities, or people in the middle of a delirious episode, or intoxicated ? Should anyone over the age limit get suicide assistance regardless of their mental state or should their be some kind of psychological test ?

I guess anyone over 18, yeah.

 

[FuneralCry]

It needs to be and it's just so horrific how humans have made it illegal to die painlessly, all I want is to be permanently free from this torturous, dreadful existence that never should had been imposed.

I'll just always see the existence of life as the most terrible, dreadful tragedy that just causes all this torture and suffering and for me non-existence is just all I see as positive, all I want is peace from the terrible suffering of existing where there is no limit as to how much agony one can feel, to me anti-suicide is just so evil, there's just so much evil in how these people want others to be tortured for as long as possible in this existence that just leads to decay and death anyway, all I want is the peace of non-existence to save me from all future dreadful suffering.

 

[bl33ding_heart]

Yes but heavily restricted. Suicide not being restricted puts a lot of people at risk of impulsively ending their life. It should be a well thought out decision, and someone should have to get all possible forms of help and try to better their circumstance. Before coming to the conclusion that life really isn't for them and being allowed to access euthanasia.

 

[spellbound]

Yes but heavily restricted. Suicide not being restricted puts a lot of people at risk of impulsively ending their life. It should be a well thought out decision, and someone should have to get all possible forms of help and try to better their circumstance. Before coming to the conclusion that life really isn't for them and being allowed to access euthanasia.

I definitely agree with that, how do you envision that though ? Should people that apply be forced through therapy for a limited time ? Should they pass a psychological exam and be approved by a therapist ? How do we determine if someone "got all possible forms of help" or if they didn't even try ?

 

[ZwartHartje]

I definitely agree with that, how do you envision that though ? Should people that apply be forced through therapy for a limited time ? Should they pass a psychological exam and be approved by a therapist ? How do we determine if someone "got all possible forms of help" or if they didn't even try ?

I definitely disagree. If there's any sort of application, tests, psychoanalysis or what-have-you I personally wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole but go the stealth way anyway, so it wouldn't make any difference at all. Humans are such terrible control freaks, just anything on Earth is way too heavily regulated as it is!
Except for the senseless murder of nonhuman animals, and the destruction of the biosphere. Oh right, and the totally unrestricted human breeding, of course!

I think that easy ways to end it should be freely accessible to anyone, but they'd have to do it on their own.
Assisted should be reserved for those too sick or disabled to do it by themselves. There should be some process for this since at least one other person would be involved to give such assistance. But not for those who will do it on their own.
Like, I can shave off my hair if I want to, because it's *my* hair. I can get some ugly tattoo all over my face if I want to, because it's *my* face. And I can end the life of my body, because it's *my* body. That's how I see it.

 

[PanaxMan]

I feel like most of us would want suicide to be accessible, but what rules should govern this ? How can we, as a society, determine who's worthy of killing themselves ? Would one have to pass a psychological test ? Should minors and people with mental disabilities be banned from it ?
Or should it stay hard to access to ensure only true suicidals are committing ?

Yes seppukku along with duels.

 

[franos666]

Tbh I don't think that euthanasia is that big of a deal. It's not that hard to kill yourself. You really just need train, tall building, rope, gun etc. I think hanging is very good. You don't even feel strong pain

 

[bl33dingboy]

yes, being forced in this world has been horrible. you should have the right to leave.

 

[Hvergelmir]

How can we, as a society, determine who's worthy of killing themselves ? Would one have to pass a psychological test ? Should minors and people with mental disabilities be banned from it ?

It must be legal. Why jail time or monetary punishment is completely misguided, ought to be obvious.

I'd probably want a psychological evaluation.
I needs to become much more accessible for the weakest; people with serious long-term disease or sickness.
There shouldn't be an age limit, but age ought to be considered in the evaluation.

I see no need to make it easier for the general population. I'm firmly convinced that it's quite easy, for those truly wanting an end. I don't separate survival instinct from will.

 

[Dark Moon]

It really should be legal but it probably won't because society places importance on human life and the economy will take a hit.

 

[pkeylimepie]

I honestly think there should be no rules except your own.

If life were a "gift" and I gave it to you.. then it's yours. You should be able to do with it as you see fit. I shouldn't be able to force you to keep it because it'll make me sad to see you throw it in the bin.

 

[discreetmadness]

People with cancer or other painful disabilities and who are about to die, basically in hospice care, they should be allowed to choose euthanasia. There shouldn't exist a world where these people have to seek out rope or a gun just to die. Especially if it is difficult for them to move. That isn't humane.

I do worry that if it was more prevalent for other circumstances that there would be a eugenics sort of push just to get rid of people the state doesn't like having around.

 

[CarbonBased]

I feel like most of us would want suicide to be accessible, but what rules should govern this ? How can we, as a society, determine who's worthy of killing themselves ? Would one have to pass a psychological test ? Should minors and people with mental disabilities be banned from it ?
Or should it stay hard to access to ensure only true suicidals are committing ?

I can't answer what should or shouldn't be the case, because I don't know your goals or values, but one thing I can say is that there are places that are quite permissive when it comes to suicide. Specifically, Switzerland has taken an approach that many of us could probably approve of. There are organizations that provide euthanasia services for individuals who aren't very old or terminally/chronically ill legally. Every organization has their own rules, but the most permissive I could find (it's called "Pegasos") can provide you with that service with the main requirements being that you are of age and are capable of making your own decisions (no severe mental disability). Even if you are not a Swiss national and have certain mental conditions (such as depressive disorder), you may still be allowed to make use of the service. There is also no mandatory waiting period before the procedure.
It's been a while since I looked into this, but if I remember correctly, the biggest limitation when it comes to "Pegasos" was that it is quite expensive (around 10K euro) and you need somebody you know with you to be able to testify about what happened to the police when they arrive to handle your body (that person will not get in any trouble for that).