""I feel assisted suicide can only be a wrong thing. I have been brought up by parents who have taught me it's wrong. I stand by that through my personal beliefs. If someone dies through committing suicide it's very sad, very wrong, and a waste of a life God has given them to use to the best of their ability"."
Andrew - ESDA Volunteer, Eastbourne Posted 15 February 2010 11:37:35
"This is just the sort of pro-life Christian clap-trap that makes me livid.
Have you got a terminal illness, been starved down to four stone, sat in pee without food, drink or pain relief for days or been in such agony you are in total desperation? Many people who have mental health problems such as manic depressives attempt suicide are they to be vilified too? Will they be eternally tortured in hell for defying gods will? Do you want to bury suicides under crossroads as punishment as in yesteryear? Arthur Koestler and Virginia Woolf have my complete respect, fiercely intelligent creative firebrands who ultimately chose bravely. There is no spiritual cause served by piteous sufferings.
I am very aware of the pitfalls and difficulties of legislating for such a contentious human right and the dangers of any move toward Nazi eugenics. Many people with my disease have chosen assisted suicide via Dignitas. I feel shaken by this and very slightly pressured to follow suit. It is not my choice yet I vehemently defend their right to do so.
Being trapped in a body that cannot move is often excruciating, humiliating, depressing and soul destroying. Who am I to tell another how much physical or mental anguish they should suffer? Primo Levi once wrote poignantly on suffering "We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death, but we still possess one power, and we must defend it with all our strength for it is the last - the power to refuse our consent."
When you are dying horribly there are few freedoms; one should be to choose when the pain will stop."
ezzie, East Sussex Posted 8 April 2010 6:30:09
"There is no place for religion in this argument. I still find it incomprehensible that if we have a pet that is suffering we can choose to end that suffering on its behalf yet as sentient beings the law prevents us from choosing to end our own pain. We can play God with the family dog and most Christians would consider that acceptable yet they argue against doing the same for a relative in agony.
The laws in this country regarding assisted suicide and/or euthansia are archaic and the sooner people stop being so precious about the whole issue and bring their ideas up to date the better."
Nigel, East Sussex Posted 12 September 2011 15:48:38
