Not a high priority for me. I advocate investing in more supports for people who are in pain, mentally ill or terminally ill. Many in those categories are socially and medically isolated. For people who still want to kill themselves after those supports have been provided, I guess I have no objection. We aren’t there yet in most cases. There’s a blog called Bad Cripple that covers this topic in a lot more depth from a disabled person’s point I’d view.
I'm a bit of a radical on this topic. I believe we each have a right to decide we've lived long enough, even when we're not ill or disabled. They say to leave the party just as it peaks, not after it winds down. If I need a lot of support, a lot of propping up in order to make life bearable or even interesting, then am I really living?
Only you can answer that last question. I don’t think your view is radical at all. I don’t have a problem with adults leaving the party whenever they choose. The idea that we need a right to off ourselves because life isn’t worth living when you are sick, depressed or in a power wheelchair is a dangerous one. As a society, the message we should be sending is that vulnerable population are valuable and worth saving: My 19 year old son wouldn’t live 3 days without support. He thinks his life is worth living (most days). He hasn’t had the opportunity to live a full life like you and I have.
Here’s an article that touches on the nuances of this topic Better than I can do in the comments section.
And there's the 9th Amendment to the US Constitution: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." In other words, we have all sorts of rights, not just the ones acknowledged by laws. The constitution works from the principle of all things being allowed unless specifically forbidden, rather than all things are forbidden unless specifically allowed.
Not a high priority for me. I advocate investing in more supports for people who are in pain, mentally ill or terminally ill. Many in those categories are socially and medically isolated. For people who still want to kill themselves after those supports have been provided, I guess I have no objection. We aren’t there yet in most cases. There’s a blog called Bad Cripple that covers this topic in a lot more depth from a disabled person’s point I’d view.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a radical on this topic. I believe we each have a right to decide we've lived long enough, even when we're not ill or disabled. They say to leave the party just as it peaks, not after it winds down. If I need a lot of support, a lot of propping up in order to make life bearable or even interesting, then am I really living?
DeleteOnly you can answer that last question. I don’t think your view is radical at all. I don’t have a problem with adults leaving the party whenever they choose. The idea that we need a right to off ourselves because life isn’t worth living when you are sick, depressed or in a power wheelchair is a dangerous one. As a society, the message we should be sending is that vulnerable population
Deleteare valuable and worth saving: My 19 year old son wouldn’t live 3 days without support. He thinks his life is worth living (most days). He hasn’t had the opportunity to live a full life like you and I have.
Here’s an article that touches on the nuances of this topic Better than I can do in the comments section.
https://www.salon.com/2016/02/14/i_was_sure_that_legalizing_aid_in_dying_was_the_right_thing_to_do_then_i_met_bad_cripple/
I err on the side of life, but I do understand the other side of the coin.
And there's the 9th Amendment to the US Constitution: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." In other words, we have all sorts of rights, not just the ones acknowledged by laws. The constitution works from the principle of all things being allowed unless specifically forbidden, rather than all things are forbidden unless specifically allowed.
ReplyDelete