Assisted suicide should remain private matter for families
(Last updated: 06/03/09 9:04pm)For months I hadn’t thought about 1963; not even one bad dream. But the editorial by Gabrielle Moore, Assisted suicide not real answer (SN 6/1), brought it all back.
During my junior year of college, I was administering morphine to my dying father every two to four hours, 24/7. I’ve thought this over and over — when I was 19, 23, 29, 35, 45 … and my conclusion has always been the same.
There was no reason for that experiment in how much suffering a person could take; how long a person could live with most systems failing, including the mind.
I don’t wish that experience on anyone and, thankfully, very few people will have it. Indeed, college students should be enjoying the best of times, so I will spare the details and summarize.
Jack Kevorkian and the state of Washington are a lot closer to the truth than the typical Sunday school teacher or naive college student.
Death with dignity should be a private matter for families, with private help from doctors when needed. That healthy and happy college students have a right to vote as the state on this issue is a chilling thought.
George Stockman
computer science professor
Originally Published: 06/03/09 7:16pm
Yes and No
06/05/09 4:53pmIt is also between you and your maker. Something to pray about. And God Bless you.
Professor? Scary.
06/06/09 10:02am“That healthy and happy college students have a right to vote as the state on this issue is a chilling thought.”
Yes, God forbid we have democracy…
Yes Because...
06/06/09 11:05amEven Healthy and Happy College Students still have a mind, and those that attend MSU are rather intellectual as well. I think that although you refer to them as Happy College Students, they are much more than that. I believe that they can make some very Adult decisions with their own deductions and reasonings. Truely where a person stands on this issue is soley one of conscience and faith. Some believe allowing God to be apart of the process, others do not believe in God at all. End of Story.
Mandy Smith
06/08/09 9:58amI have to say I truely feel for those of you facing what you have had to face. I am sorry if people come across cold and thoughtless. It is a difficult thing to really grasp hold of. I am sorry that this article brought back these memories for you.
...Honestly I have been reading up on all kinds of things since Gabriella Moore’s article. The blogs have encouraged me to study what ALS means, and what Castlemanâs disease is and so on.
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CICUnurse
06/11/09 8:00pmGeorge, I agree with you here. I think we may be slowly moving towards this with our Living Wills etc. which can help families of dying patients know what their last wishes are. I have worked as a nurse in cardiac intensive care and seen many many people die. If people can be given the choice to die “with dignity” in a controlled manner, their own decision then that would be ideal. It is their life, we should respect how they want to live it. Assisted suicide is the patient’s decision. It does not cause physical harm to others, I can’t see why it should be illegal. Give people the choice.