Comments on: Live and Let Die http://www.reason42.com/2006/05/08/live-and-let-die/ The more I know the less I understand - Tao Le Ching Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:52:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: annon http://www.reason42.com/2006/05/08/live-and-let-die/comment-page-1/#comment-109 annon Fri, 20 Apr 2007 20:43:39 +0000 http://www.reason42.com/?p=6#comment-109 You will find that the majority of opposition comes from the BMA rather than groups with pious interests! You are asking people who have sworn their lives to protect and prolong life to end lives as part of their day to day responsibilites! You will find that the majority of opposition comes from the BMA rather than groups with pious interests! You are asking people who have sworn their lives to protect and prolong life to end lives as part of their day to day responsibilites!

]]> By: Joe http://www.reason42.com/2006/05/08/live-and-let-die/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Joe Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:20:33 +0000 http://www.reason42.com/?p=6#comment-19 I think you raise some valid points however I think assisted suicide is very hard to legislate against. How easy would it be for a Harold Shipman type character to abuse this system? In an ideal world we would all be able to chose how we live and how we die. But life isn't ideal and anyway the right to choose life or death - is this just another extension of consumerism? Perhaps this is a totally different argument or is it? I'd like to die in my 5 million pound mansion, wearing my Armani Jeans and my Porche on the drive! I would prefer a peaceful death, no pain and in my sleep! My difficulty with this whole argument has nothing to do with playing God, as you point out we allow medicine to extend life. My difficultly is killing someone (assisted suicide) is a very complicated affair and like the death penalty can't be reversed once it is done. Taking another persons life can have a massive mental impact on the person carrying out the act. What about them? Although they may be up for helping the person at the time - what about in 5 years when they look back? What about the 'where there is blame there is a claim brigade', you will have lawyers finding legal loop holes to sue the NHS or doctors who helped with assisted suicide. I don't think this is a black and white argument and for that reason making a law that allows it would be very difficult. I think you raise some valid points however I think assisted suicide is very hard to legislate against. How easy would it be for a Harold Shipman type character to abuse this system?

In an ideal world we would all be able to chose how we live and how we die. But life isn’t ideal and anyway the right to choose life or death – is this just another extension of consumerism? Perhaps this is a totally different argument or is it? I’d like to die in my 5 million pound mansion, wearing my Armani Jeans and my Porche on the drive! I would prefer a peaceful death, no pain and in my sleep!

My difficulty with this whole argument has nothing to do with playing God, as you point out we allow medicine to extend life. My difficultly is killing someone (assisted suicide) is a very complicated affair and like the death penalty can’t be reversed once it is done. Taking another persons life can have a massive mental impact on the person carrying out the act. What about them? Although they may be up for helping the person at the time – what about in 5 years when they look back? What about the ‘where there is blame there is a claim brigade’, you will have lawyers finding legal loop holes to sue the NHS or doctors who helped with assisted suicide.

I don’t think this is a black and white argument and for that reason making a law that allows it would be very difficult.

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