GrandPoobah
Posts: 120
Joined: 11/20/2008 Status: offline
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In Oregon, a state in the US, there is a program entitled Death with Dignity. The premise is pretty simple. If you're diagnosed with a terminal illness, and 6 months or less to live, you can be prescribed a lethal prescription. It requires some simply precautions...a second opinion, and a couple other minor details Doctors and pharmacists have the option to not prescribe or fill the prescriptions on personal belief grounds, but that's not been a major problem. In a quick summary, it simply works. The important thing to remember is that this law, and others like it, don't change anything. In short, people have always had the "right" (ability) to terminate their own lives. You or I could do that right this minute. Whatever you believe about the moral aspects of suicide, the fact is you can do it. However, because of most legal systems, there are some things you can't do, and therein are the problems. 1. In most countries, if you decide to "say good-bye" your family better not be anywhere near you...because they can be criminally charged. So, you tell no one, and make certain they're somewhere far away. 2. Most available methods involve making a mess. Guns, gas, a car crash, jumping all involve making a mess, and that certainly isn't a nice thing to leave for your loved ones to deal with. 3. If you're "disabled" by your condition, you may not be able to self-administer your chosen method. The true effect of the Oregon law is simple. It removes those "problems." So, in a much more humane situation, you can gather your family around you, say your good-byes and hear them speak theirs, and then, simply "take some pills." If necessary, they can assist you. You drift off, perhaps holding the hand of someone special, or maybe holding a "special pet." Your body is intact and unscathed. Doesn't that sound so much more civilized? Nothing's really changed, except all those things that truly matter. As a side note, the man who led the charge to enact this law just recently was diagnosed as terminal. He has asked for the prescription, although he admits he may or may not actually use it. He did say, as other have before, that simply knowing it's always an option makes preparation for passing so much easier.
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