Kevorkian released from jail

[anthson]

Yes, assuming a person has NO family or friends, the suicide is quite un-selfish because no one will miss them when they're gone. I've seen a few suicides doing the business of newspaper reporting and I have to tell you this has never been the case with me. Of all the suicides I've covered, there have always been family left to pick up the pieces. Sometimes entire schools or churches were left to make sense of the tragedy.

This one time, an extremely ill man shot himself in a graveyard. He was suffering daily, had some good days and some bad days, but he couldn't handle the struggle any more. He went out to his father's grave, popped open his cell phone, and told his wife he'd meet her there. She arrived to find his brains splattered all throughout his truck. When I got on the scene after hearing of a possible shooting, she was frantic. I'll never forget her face. At the time I had no idea her husband just shot himself, but afterward it made sense. I understand he was not fond of his life and that his condition made him feel like he had the flu every other day or so. But to leave a wife and kids behind like that?

In a way, it seems a case for Kevorkian. He allowed terminally ill folks to go without their family having to find them turned into tomato paste on the concrete. Still, I would never leave my wife and kids behind like that. It's selfish.

[Kravenar]

I'll agree that in a large number of cases suicide IS to some degree selfish. Someone always has to pick up the pieces. I have attended multiple calls where we were responded to suspected cardiac arrest (caller says.. no breathing no pulse) to find the person strung up by belt, electrical cord, rope etc etc.

Having said that.. the reasons behind any suicide are as varied as the ways to do it. Some of these are what I would personally consider "legit" (ie. dying with dignity), through the whole scope of possibilities to the "less valid" like "my life is terrible I have no friends, so lets end it".

The thing is these people they see it as possibly the only way out, or the only achievable (ie.. flat broke do you off yourself or keep trying lotto tickets)... whether they are right or not their ability to reason things out is often compromised by emotional or mental issues such as clinical depression.

The real selfishness I feel largely comes from leaving either those friends and family who pick up the pieces of their lives or go on without them, to disregard for the friends/family/rescuers that have to find and deal with the scene.

Legitimising "self dispatch" will assist in limiting the folks who resort to messier and less efficient methods to die, but comes with it the problem of filtering those who wish to die with dignity or end constant pain (terminally ill, elderly, incapacitated) from those who are just having a bad day. At the end of the day... anyone really wanting to do themselves in is going to have a fair crack at it... and without getting too creative I can think of a half dozen methods that would be virtually guaranteed.

To put some thoughts out there as to how big a problem and people that are affected:

* It is reported (within closed circles) that at least one a week kill themselves by jumping from the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne (height up to about 90 metres I think and one of the busiest motorways in the city)

* The average Victorian train driver will unwillingly participate in the death of 2 people over a 30 year career.

* An overwhelming majority of suicides (and attempts) occur in the family home and most are found by freinds or family. (Worst I saw personally was a 43 yo who hung himself from his child's bedroom door while the kids were getting ready for school)

Considering the options and possibilities I'm all for a low impact life ender. The are "pro choice" groups in Australia teaching elderly folks how to access and purchase Veterinary supplies on holidays in Mexico and smuggle them into the country so they can choose to go with dignity when they feel like it. Given the option of finding Grandma hanging from the rafters or not wake up in the morning I know which one I pick.

In summary... while its easy to take the moral high ground and say suicide is selfish, you've got to look at the situation in context. No one's going to say "I wish -insert relatives names here- was dead" but certainly the burden and some decisions are easier if they are made for you. What about costly medical bills, what about relatives who degenerate to persistent vegetative states, when was the last time YOU walked through an old peoples home (and swanky retirement villages don't count)? If there is NOTHING left for you except to look forward to what coloured shit is going to stain your sheets in the morning - give me my ticket out now.

At the same time I have little tolerance for those who just need a smack upside the head and get their shit together and force others to deal with their baggage.