Originally posted by Rosuav
Why is it that assisted suicide is called "dying with dignity"? How is it more dignified to end your life (or have it ended for you) by some lethal drug than to wait out your end from disease? Or if you really want to end your life more quickly, what about throwing yourself off a building, being beheaded, or suffocating yourself with carbon monoxide? Why are these other methods considered less dignified - and for that matter, what exactly is the "dignity" that is sought?
Its dying with dignity because you get to - in some sense- go to sleep instead of puking your guts out, shitting your pants, or bleeding out of every orifice until your body finally gives out. Not to mention the accompanying pain that most likely leaves your oscillating between fits of dispair and crying till the tears won't come no more.

By comparision, the alternatives you suggest are FAR from ideal. You forget the impact of those alternatives on the rest of society. Whoever finds these people after commiting such acts to exit themself from life are usually scarred in some way. Unfortunately as often as not it is also someone from "the victim's" family.

I once taught a first aid course to a group of train drivers who advised that the industry stats were that on average a train driver in Melbourne will kill 2 people during a 30 year career. Some of your other ideas (throwing off buildings, self beheading..) have no consideration for those that need to investigate and clean up the aftermath. Come talk to me after you've done your first "biological washaway" - trust me, its not nice.

Euthanasia offers an alternative when people in this situation can say their goodbyes in a timely manner, get their affairs in order and then quietly (and without MESS) "move on".

Having said that, I have NO IDEA as to how to manage the myriad of legal and ethical issues to allow this to happen without abuse.