Should Suicide Be Legal?

[Jimmy 0]

This is one in depth topic that I think is difficult to agree on a side but,It should not be illegal, but it should be "frowned upon" by society. I believe this would be the best situation to leave the topic of suicide in.I by no means do not think of it this simply, but I think this is an answer that is definitely one of the better ones to the debate, that I happened to come across and it is fairly simple.I was about to extend this with some reasoning, or the lack of; to support this and other options. There are other ways too, but this is my contribution :-| and I think it says something to just leave it at this.!

Edited January 13, 2007 by Jimmy (see edit history)

[salamangkero 0]

It should not be illegal, but it should be "frowned upon" by society.

I do agree. It might be best for everyone is suicide were discouraged, but not forbidden. Interestingly, that is quite what's happening in the world right now so the good news probably is that we'd have to make no major adjustments in adopting this... ideology.

Let's have a show of hands, who agrees with Jimmy?

[intmun 0]

Should suicide be illegal?On one hand its your life your body
On the other hand it hurts many people who care about you
Just wanted to know what everyone thought about this

I think suicide shouldn't be legal because I think anyone who truly wants to end there life either simply can't see the good side of things, which should be helped, or is mentally ill, which should also be helped. However I do in principle agree with euthenasia except that I don't think there is any adequate monitering system.

[QuickSilva 0]

Suicidal laws don't matter anyway, as you are dead and you can not be prosecuted, can you? I think this law is pointless. I also think that if you are in deep pain in a Hospital bed, the doctors should be able to put you down if you agree or show that you are in deep pain. Assisted suicide should always be legal as it is killing someone in a way. This is my view on it, it may not be yours and I accept that, but everyone is entitled to there own opinion.Have a great day!-Tom

[Kubi 0]

Ahh, yes. Anyone can get help, isn't it? Ask and you shall receive, isn't it? Where there's a will, there's a way, isn't it? Well, here's what I think: If they did get help, would they be dead now?

So what you're implying is that I'm a pro-lifer driven by these set-in-stone belief? A person who has no mind for himself, other then the law? And only abides by the bible?

I've never read a bible. I've never read the first sentence in a bible. But I do tend to listen to people here on the boards. You seem to pick up a lot about the bible when you read topics by some members.

I'm no pro-life. I a pro-do whatever the heck you feel liker.

Indulge me and walk into my fantasy. Suppose you were mistakenly put alone into a ship that was catapulted into interstellar space. You're really hungry but you don't know which console buttons to press so you could get a Happy Meal. As a matter of fact, there are only two buttons on the panel: a green one and a red one marked "Self-Destruct"

There's a HUGE difference between killing yourself because you think your life sucks, and because the only other alternative is a slow and painful death, where either way death will result. Must I really elaborate on this? I'm sure it's fairly obvious.

"Ew, I stepped in gum, my life sucks. *cut cut cut*".
or
"*gasp*, I've been trapped here for 12 hours....pain....oh look, a self destruct button"

[Jimmy 0]

There's a HUGE difference between killing yourself because you think your life sucks, and because the only other alternative is a slow and painful death, where either way death will result. Must I really elaborate on this? I'm sure it's fairly obvious."Ew, I stepped in gum, my life sucks. *cut cut cut*".

Please do elaborate, i'm afraid I do not see your logic.
I would argue there is little difference between the two situations you mentioned, in fact they are almost one and the same. Generally a slow and painful death is what could be considered going through life unhappy to the mind of someone contemplating suicide.

most of you talk about life being the preicious thing it is seen to be, and it appears that you cannot grasp why anyone would want to end such a wonderful gift, but take a look from another perspective:
this is gonna be difficult to explain, so please bear with me as it may not come out as I intend;
the main question is, "what is life" is it something going on somewhere on one tiny place in a vast expanse that goes on for infinity or until the end of time. where, like mini beings we cover a small place, where we wander around doing whatever we see fit. We can see little going on around us, it is our little planet and we are the most important...?! life in the scheme of things is the same as death. whilst someone living may take their life, someone inevitably has died of natural causes in the grand scheme of things around the same time. Time just keeps going on and whatever happens to us really does not make one tiniest bit of difference, only it seems, to us. What I'm trying to say here is that life comes with death only with a space of time in between. when there is life there is going to be death. what really is 30 years cut short to ONE of those ants that are scurrying around on th planet that would have otherwise lived to 80, in the span of time, or endlessness. We don't know if there is a time, if there is a constant cycle of everything. We merely came up with "time" to get around the fact that it goes on forever, not just forever, but forever that keeps getting larger and never stops.

I was going to just delete this post, as it seems I cannot expain it myself how I meant at all really, But I have decided to leave it as it may be interesting to someone.
Please bear in mind it is not finished and doesn't appear to make much sense. try detaching yourself from what we see all the time and work out what everything is, or how it got there.! - that may give you a different outlook on things...
Edited January 19, 2007 by Jimmy (see edit history)

[Kubi 0]

What I mean, is there is a difference between walking through your teen years letting everything upset you. EVERYTHING. When I say "Pain" I mean physical pain, not mental. Unfortunetly the only cure for mental pain(thoughts of suicide ect), would be counsling, in my opinion.Un-Wanted physical pain, with no way out of the situation. Hit the button.Self-Indused physical/mental pain......get help

[biscuitrat 0]

Okay...I think you mean "should euthanasia be legal?", not suicide. Because the last time I checked, people who commit suicide don't get put on trial because of it. Because they're dead. Attempted suicide warrants emotional and mental support, but not judicial proceedings. Suicide's definitely legal because it's not punishable, but it's still a societal black mark. I feel that euthanasia should be legal in terminal cases. After all, if a person can't really go on and they're in pain every moment of their lives, who's to say that they can't unplug themselves from life support? Now, I don't believe that Jack Kevorkian was justified either. The "helping people die" without their family's support seems cruel. The best solution would be to convince families that euthanasia was an option and let them make the the choice together. It hurts to see people in pain, so seeing them go in peace is necessary for healing.

[Forbez 0]

I personally think that it is their body. It is must easier for someone else ot kill somone then killing yourself. So to make such a hard desiscion can only make sense. Everybodsy wants to live, but if their life is going to runis isn't it best to end it there. Rather then to keep hopeing for faulse hope. Afterall, noone knows what happens after you've died. For all we know , it could be 10x better then their current life. Even if it is a blank nothingness of nothing.

[Yratorm, LightMage 0]

Hmm, this 'suicide is running away from your problems' is a rather western way of putting things.

 

For example, in the culture that I live in, suicide is considered a honorable way to die.

 

Similarly in the west, the words "Those who live by the sword die by the sword" are taken to mean that such a life and such a death are bad things.

In some cultures on the planet, such a life and such a death would be considered good, most honorable, and certainly good karma.

 

 

Just pointing out that there is a quite different point of view possible. In the west suicide is a way out - in the east it is actually considered an honorable passage to a new and probably higher plane of existence.

 

 

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Now, speaking from a western point of view, I'd say that whether suicide is justified or not should be judged on a case by case basis. Perhaps a person is REALLY not suited to this world? It's possible, you know.

 

It may not even be that the person concerned is deficient in some way - what if the person who wishes to commit suicide is really a higher intellect who finds it difficult to 'get along' with his or her fellow humans. Some would argue that such a person had much to offer the world. But one could also argue that the world would perhaps not be willing to accept what that person had to offer? And perhaps in that case this person would have little reason to live.

 

I don't think cases of suicide can be generally categorized into 'should be legal' or 'should not be legal', simply because humans are so unique. Each case has to be judged by itself, and in some cases, the desire to commit suicide might indeed be justified. Just my personal opinion, nothing more.

 

 

 

And if we dig a little deeper - what is the purpose of life? Why does one live? Is there benefit in working for the best years of your life, having (or not having) children, and then growing old and dying of sickness, senility and old age?

 

Deep questions. And relevant to the topic in hand.

 

Sure, suicide is a cry for help - but I also think that it might partially be a symptom of a sickness that is rooted deeper in our social norms today than we think.

[salamangkero 0]

So what you're implying is that I'm a pro-lifer driven by these set-in-stone belief? A person who has no mind for himself, other then the law? And only abides by the bible?

 

I've never read a bible. I've never read the first sentence in a bible. But I do tend to listen to people here on the boards. You seem to pick up a lot about the bible when you read topics by some members.

 

I'm no pro-life. I a pro-do whatever the heck you feel liker.

I'm so, so sorry for that. My initial reaction was, "WTF, I am not implying anyone's philosophical inclinations here!" but, looking back on my post, I just realized I was. For being too emotionally involved, effectively writing a bit too passionately, I apologize.

 

There's a HUGE difference between killing yourself because you think your life sucks, and because the only other alternative is a slow and painful death, where either way death will result. Must I really elaborate on this? I'm sure it's fairly obvious.

I'm sure it is although I'm not sure which aspects were obvious to you and which ones, to me.

 

1. Any action you take, death will always be the result. Life is, shall we say, as much a process of slowly dying as it is of living.

2. There is also a HUGE difference between "the only other alternative is a slow and painful death," which was your post and "the only other visible alternative is a slow and painful death," which is what my post really says.

 

I won't deny that there really are other ways. Heck, looking at suicide cases from a third-person POV, one could easily discern other alternatives. These, however, are not quite so visible to the victims. They probably are in a state of mind that ironically makes it more difficult for them to find the solution they seek.

 

"Ew, I stepped in gum, my life sucks. *cut cut cut*".

or

"*gasp*, I've been trapped here for 12 hours....pain....oh look, a self destruct button"

I almost said this before but I didn't. Now I will. WTF?!? Ah, there we go. That feels better

 

Really, what the... I'm still shocked. I was, honestly, not expecting that. For one, it is too extreme an example (but then again, I also did the same before ) Still, I don't think stepping on a piece of gum alone comprises a life that sucks. If anything, I doubt that simply stepping on a gum would trigger a suicide case.

 

Augh! Really, though, I can't think of anything else to say to that. It's too simple; suicide is usually the result of a complex sequence of mishaps and misfortunes.

 

What I mean, is there is a difference between walking through your teen years letting everything upset you. EVERYTHING. When I say "Pain" I mean physical pain, not mental. Unfortunately the only cure for mental pain(thoughts of suicide etc), would be counseling, in my opinion.

 

Unwanted physical pain, with no way out of the situation. Hit the button.

 

Self-Induced physical/mental pain......get help

Here we go again. Where on earth would I get help? Argh! That sounded too personal XD Where on earth would they get help?

 

1. Shrinks usually cost some hefty sum so broke victims can't have this choice. Example: beggars

2. Some victims fail to recognize the help they could get from their friends. Example: those "gone astray" and estranged from their peers

3. Some have no friends, or even acquaintances at all. Example: Anonymous beggars

4. Some have completely lost hope. Example: HIV positives

5. Some have been scarred so deep there is practically no hope of emotional recovery. Example: rape victims

 

For example, in the culture that I live in, suicide is considered a honorable way to die.

Ah, yes. This is a way of thinking I do like.

 

Might I add that I myself, plan to die at the age of sixty, unless something worth growing old for comes up? At the age of 57, I should probably start looking for manufacturers of cyanide pills

 

Lastly, I do think there's simply too much of us here on this planet. Not all humans, though, contribute anything remotely useful to the evolution and progress (sic) of the human specie. We could do with less mouths to feed, don't you think so? (Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a jerk for even thinking of that)

[street 0]

well it is there life they can choose what they want to do also if they are caught they should not be sent to jail cause when they are jail they will just kill themselves in jail.

[haxored 0]

Should suicide be illegal?On one hand its your life your body
On the other hand it hurts many people who care about you
Just wanted to know what everyone thought about this

Its illegal, immoral, against the will of God.
Its not your life nor boday, you borrowed it from your creator so He's the only one who can get it from you (whichever way).

You should not suicide! You just don't know your purpose in this world that's why you might resort to something like that. That's why we are in a community, open up yourself to anyone who could help you. Remember, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

[salamangkero 0]

Its illegal, immoral, against the will of God.Its not your life nor boday, you borrowed it from your creator so He's the only one who can get it from you (whichever way).

You should not suicide! You just don't know your purpose in this world that's why you might resort to something like that. That's why we are in a community, open up yourself to anyone who could help you. Remember, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh no, not again...

There is this album by Whitey: "The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train"

Oh, and you're not even supposed to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel while you're still alive so I daresay that clichč quote was misused or misplaced

[itrainmonkeys 0]

How can suicide be illegal? If the person succeeds then how can they get any punishment. If they fail at committing suicide then you're going to arrest them? How is that going to help them want to live. I feel like there should be more focus on solving suicide rates....but to make it illegal is just too ridiculous in my opinion. I know it's your life and everything..........and that it also hurts the people that do care for you.....but how are you going to make it illegal? Lock people up if they try to kill themself? No. You get that person help.....but not put them through more drama then they already have.