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Avalik β I support the right to die
Published: 2009-07-30 06:49:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 14606; Favourites: 394; Downloads: 69
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So, I support the right to die. That is, euthanisia... for humans. I couldn't find another stamp similar to this, and I think it is an important human right that should be common but is rarely given legal rights to. I am an active activist for this right, and in the correct communities you can easily find me supporting this right. As such I receive many e-mails and mails a day asking for help or advice to end their life. Some of these are very earnest and my heart goes out to these people, but the laws in this world would equate my assistance with lethal or immoral action, and my ability to respond to such requests is restricted to deleting or crumpling their mail without a response. And this brings me to tears that the backwards world we live in threatens my liberties to even communicate and to help, and it makes me feel so incredibly selfish when I do not... I can respond, but my own fear of being imprisoned prevents this. I wish I could be more brave, like the real heroes of this world who fought in the past for human rights even at the risk of death or life imprisonment. I do hope to get rid of this cowardice of mine._________________
Many people outright are hostile to the idea, and believe people should live in pain up until their last breathe; they should fight and struggle for years on end, and if they give up are cowardly selfish beings, despite that perhaps the idea of forcing a person to live for your own benefit is the selfish idealogy. Others are more receptive to the idea, but only under conditions such as for those who are terminally ill or could only live by assistance from machines. I believe the right should be extended to those who are physically sick, mentally ill, and even those who are simply bored of life.
We euthanize pets on the basis that they "are living in pain", and yet we force a human to go through every available resource to keep the flicker going, even if they don't want to do this anymore. If they don't want to be hooked up to a machine or if daily living is unbearable, they should "be brave, suck it up!" but why? Why, other than the common "the people around you will be sad if you die."
Does NO one think of the person who is in pain? When someone is murdered, everyone looks out for the victim's right. When your pet is in incurable agony, it would be inhumane to impose that pain on them simply because you would be sad when they die. It's sadistc, it's inhumane, it's torture; to inflict pain, to refuse to help relieve pain, or to ridicule people who aren't steel and can't take the pain... for your own benefit, or for anyone else's benefit.
It truely is a sick society when we feel compelled to kick people who are down and is in fact IMMORAL to NOT punish these people, and that the slightest weakness should be looked down upon.
I care about the earth in which we live. I care about the quality of life for all living beings - like yourself - and I care about the life of the slug I found outside or the chickens on the farm or the elephant in Africa, and the cats and dogs we feed every day. The many wild rodents, the birds and insects, and the abundant flora, in which we humans provide a peaceful means to escape if in pain, exempt one species of billions.
I want the competent to have a means of living and dying which is self-determined, self-empowering, and gracefully executed according to compassionate and responsible principles I associate with intelligent and mature human values. This includes clear adult communications about methods to end one's life in a predictable and timely fashion.
From the words of another, "Euthanasia and assisted suicide are covert and unregulated in the Canada of today. Also, their accessibility has more to do with "connections" than with need. They must become available within an open, regulated and equitable system.
People who are suffering intolerably from an incurable condition must have an adequate level of information and support with respect to every one of their options β including, though not limited to, the option of a hastened death." - Right to Die Society of Canada.
"I chose the way I lived my life, I should be able to choose how to end my life." - unknown.
"Quality over quantity. It applies to life itself, too." - my own words.
_________________
I'll be creating another one of these with a hemlock in the background, as I feel that'd be more symbolic. That'll be explained on the next one.
If you support any aspect of the right, feel free to still use it... you aren't obligued to use it only if you support it to my extent.
And to those who disagree with it, feel free to voice your opinions but I will respond and more than likely I will not be agreeing.
_________________
As for the artistic aspect of the actual stamp, the background is quite simply an eye with gaussian blur applied and a little tinkering. The eye is the key to the soul, and such and such, and is important in many cultures regarding to death so that's why I used it.
Medium: Digital
Program: Ole' Gimpy.
Time: an hour.
RESOURCES
Background: Eye Stock V by ~grace-stock
Font: Smudger LET Thin
Size: 99 x 56 pixels
ART USAGE TERMS for I support the right to die
I support the right to die is copyright to Adele "Avalik" Johnson. Please use I support the right to die according to the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License, and no other way. Please also review the stock image's Terms of Use: [link]
Legalese translation: You may use this anywhere on deviantART and out, however derivative works or commercial gain is prohibited.
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Comments: 233
I don't believe there is such thing as a "slow, agonizing death". Modern medicine is capable of avoiding the patient's suffering to a point that they don't have to go through an extreme pain.
Consindering I have seen and read a lot of stories about people who only had six to 8 months to live because of cancer or something else related I would say its bullshit. With some patients it works but not with everyone , a girl lost her mother to cancer painful she used medicine but her last 3 days on earth was sitting on the couch screaming in pain and crying the entire time.
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I don't believe there is such thing as a "slow, agonizing death"
What. The. Fuck.
If someone stabbed you and left you to bleed to death in the street alone, it wouldn't be slow and painful?
And i beg to differ with "letting them suffer"
People who have say huntingtons, they slowly loose all ability to move and speak
They end up not being able to do anything, and then they die
I'd say that's pretty painful, maybe not physically, but definitely mentally
Or people with Alzheimer's
How would you like to forget who your loved ones are, and just slowly die not knowing who you yourself even is
I'm sorry but i agree with seishin
I hope you never get a terminal illness, cause you would ge such a huge wakeup call
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Your argument. FTW.
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Well, I wouldn't call it a terminal illness, but I've been through a lot and I sure know what physiscal and mental pain is like. But I was able to learn from my experiences, and now I know that death is ever the way out.
And there's no need to be rude. This is just my opinion
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"Physical and mental pain"? What the hell?
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I don't mean to be rude
I just have strong feelings towards people suffering
I've worked with people with disabilities and it upsets me to see them how they are
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It's ok. I've worked with people with disabilities as well (I even have a brother who has Down Syndrome), but I think they have the same right to live than we all have.
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Of course they have a right to live, nobody's denying that. But what if they don't WANT to live? If you have the right to live, don't you also have the right to die?
I believe suicide is wrong, however...ultimately, I can't deny that if someone wants to end their own life, it would be more selfish of me to want to force them to live against their will than it would be for them to end their own lives and make others sad.
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I'm not saying they don't have a right to live or anything
Just most of the time euthanasia is the patient's own choice
It's like telling a doctor your D.N.R
So when you heart stops, they are legally banned from resuscitating you
Thats how i see it anyway
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You clearly don't know anything about medicine. Or suffering. I hope you never get a terrible chronic illness, you overtly priviledged girl, you. It's extremely self-righteous of you to think it's up to you to determine how people get to die or that excruciating pain is beneficial to all terminally I'll patients. People should have the right to die if they want to and even if it's not legal to have others put them out of their misery, it's not your call to say suffering is avoidable or tolerable. You don't know what death is like.
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No, I don't know anything about medicine. You know what? I don't really care. I was just expressing my opinion. And don't call me "priviledged" if you don't know what I've been through. I watched nine friends die, when we were only 16. That's not much of a priviledge, isn't it?
I actually know what physical pain feels like, because in the same accident my friends died, I literally flew out the windows of a bus, and I sure know how mental suffering affects somebody. Hell, I went through a major depression crisis after my accident. Who wouldn't? They were NINE girls, NINE friends of mine, and they all died. So don't you dare judge me, because you know absolutely nothing about my life.
People don't have the right to die. Like I said before, rights help to make your life better, and death does not, obviously. How can it be considered a right? It seems pretty ilogical to meI know terminally ill people suffer a lot, but I still don't think that death is the best way to overcome that suffering.
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If you know what pain feels like, then you shouldn't be so quick to say it's fine and dandy. Quite frankly, I don't care for your life story either so it doesn't make me think you less of a fool for thinking your decisions are superior or that people don't have a right to die. They do have it. You would send people to prison for trying to die? What the hell is wrong with you? Everyone has a right to try and determine how to live and how to die. That's why homicide is illegal and why people can opt out of medical treatment if they so wish. BECAUSE IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHAT YOU DO. People may not choose to get sick, but they can choose what to do about it. And if you're terminally ill, you DON'T overcome suffering, silly. Because no matter what, you're going to DIE. Being depressed and having a foot on the grave are worlds apart.
Both my parents are doctors and I've actually lived in hospitals. Unlike you, I've actually seen and interacted with people with cancer or AIDS who were on chronic pain (again, completely different from being on an accident, these people were in pain for MONTHS or YEARS). I know what they go through and from the way you talk, I can see you really have no clue.
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Unlike you, I've actually seen and interacted with people with cancer or AIDS who were on chronic pain.
Again, you're judging me. But since you don't care about my life story, I'm not gonna explain to you why your assumptions are wrong.
That's why homicide is illegal and why people can opt out of medical treatment if they so wish.
First of all, what does homicide has to do with this theme? And second,
it's not the same opting out of medical treatment than deciding to kill yourself. YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO END WITH YOUR LIFE. Wanting to hurt yourself IS NOT NATURAL.
You would send people to prison for trying to die? What the hell is wrong with you?
Did I say people trying to die should go to prison? No. I just say it's not right. What the hell is wrong with you? You don't seem to accept there are some people whose opinion may actually differ from yours. Get over it. There's no need to treat me like that.
Being depressed and having a foot on the grave are worlds apart.
You really think so? Have you ever been in such a mental pain that it almost feels physical? Have you ever watched a friend died? Do you really know what depression feels like? I'm just gonna repeat what you said to me: from the way you talk, I can see you really have no clue.
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You are laughable, really. I brought up homicide and prison because to say people don't have the right to determine their death is treating it as if it were a crime. Homicide is a crime because the person doesn't have a choice and to say no one has a right to die is to imply that it's a criminal action all of a sudden. Opting out of treatment IS choosing to die. You will die if you don't get treated for cancer. You are CHOOSING DEATH. But I guess that one is OK with you because they choose to suffer slowly and horribly? Yeah, you seem to be pretty fine with that.
I have no problem with people who think euthanasia is not a viable option. What I have a problem with is you saying people should be forced to suffer to assuage your conscience and that nobody has a right to determine what to do with their lives or how to end them. Again, being depressed or seeing other people die is not comparable to being close to death yourself. Having had extensive conversations with dozens of chronically ill patients, family members included, I have at least a more informed idea.
And yes, I have had major depressive episodes and I have had people very close to me die. My biological father died of a chronic illness just 4 months ago. He was bedridden for 8 months. I tended to him the whole time so I actually watched him die for a long, long time. So much for that argument.
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Why do you keep wasting your time with someone as laughable as me?
Argh, you're missing my points. Maybe it's my fault, because I can't express myself properly in another language. Let me put this in a different way:
Before you can consider if an act is 'good' or 'bad', you need to take a look at 3 elements of said act: the object (the act itself), the circumstances and the objective. The circumstances and the objective of euthanasia are good, because it's all about avoiding someone's suffering. But the object, which is killing, is ALWAYS wrong. ALWAYS. This is why I don't think euthanasia should be legalized. Maybe, just maybe, I would consider it as an option, but ONLY in extreme cases. It's just like killing in self-defense: the act itself is wrong, but the objective is good. Therefore, it becomes a bad but necessary act. I don't know I this makes any sense to you, and again I apologize if my bad English causes any misunderstandings.
Now, with this same logic I can tell you why opting out of medical treatment IS NOT THE SAME as deliberately chosing to kill yourself. The first act's object and circumstances are good, and the object is (usually) not wrong. Do you see the difference now?
Being depressed or seeing other people die is not comparable to being close to death yourself. I'm sorry, I just can't agree with this. I guess it depends on each person. For me, depression can be just as bad as the worst physical pain.
Oh, and I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you stay strong.
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The thing is, you may consider the "object", as you so put it, to be murder, but the definition of murder is fuzzy at best. You wouldn't send someone to prison for killing someone else on self-defense, would you? I hope not. Yet they are still killing someone to save their own lives. If killing is always bad, does that mean that killing in self-defense is evil? To say so would be cruel. Same here, I don't consider euthanasia murder because the person chooses to die for themselves and the person in charge of fulfilling their request has no say in that choice, just as one may choose to die by opting out of treatment and their doctor would not be called a "murderer". I don't understand your explanation as to how opting out of treatment is not deliberate: It is. It's not like they don't think about it or have no choice in the matter; if you say, "I don't want to get treated for cancer" you are choosing to die because you know that not receiving treatment will kill you. Unless you are talking about those people that think they will be cured by praying-- they're another case altoghether. Nevertheless, it's a choice and because it's a choice I don't consider it bad. But that's me, if you want to keep viewing willing choices to decide how your life ends as acts of evil, that's your choice as well.
Depression will not kill you unless you kill yourself. Do you not see that a lot of these people choose to die because they're depressed too? It's not all about physical pain: Physical pain leads to sadness and frustration and that leads to depression. In an effort to not suffer more than they have to, they choose to die. The difference between people who are depressed because of illness and people who are depressed because their life is difficult is that the latter can eventually come out of their depression and their lives might get better. The people who are depressed because of illness will never come out-- Their malady will eventually kill them and they will be miserable and in intense physical pain the whole time. Whether you want to believe it or not, they are far worse than you and I.
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Hey, I probably won't be answering this soon because I'm going on vacation for two weeks, but I'll try to reply as soon as possible. Thanks!
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karma will bite you in the ass some day
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well, your Karma told me to bite your ass
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I have karma SINCE WHEN!?
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It's not your choice. If someone wants to die, they have the right of bodily autonomy.
And actually, my grandfather drowned in his fluids. Modern medicine isn't as capable as you think.
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I'm not gonna repeat my arguments again. Read what I've posted in previous comments, please.
And ok, maybe medicine isn't as capable as I think, but to me that still doesn't justify euthanasia. Sorry.
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Awesome. I love living in screaming, horrible pain just so someone else can feel good about themselves.
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Um... I'm just gonna ignore this.
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Like you'll ignore your relatives when they're begging to be let go.
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It's redneck Americans like you who are ignorant and idiotic, that voted for Bush.
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WTF? I'll just sit here and laugh at YOUR ignorance and idiocy. Ha-ha.
(Oh, and by the way, I'm Chilean. Yeah. I bet you don't even know where Chile is located. Pathetic.)
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Chile is in South America dumbass. Pathetic.
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OMG! How impressive! You should get a prize for being such a genius, my friend. Seriously.
(THIS IS SARCARSM IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE KTHXBAI 
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Oh you mexicans. You're all the same to me.
(IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE, THAT WAS RACISM AND I DON'T CARE KTHXBAI
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You just said you would. You said suffering was better than death. So you'd grab some popcorn and watch your relatives sob themselves to sleep instead of letting them have their wish, squawking "Suffering is good for you~! Suffering is good for you~!" like a demented parrot.
They'll totally appreciate you extending their stay as painfully long as possible just so you can prance about with your moral superiority.
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No, it's EXACTLY the same. Humans and other kinds of animals are still animals, no matter how you look at it. You can say whatever you want, but it doesn't make a difference. Humans are still animals.
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I already told you why not, so now it's your turn. Why are humans EXACTLY the same as animals? Please, do explain.
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I'm really sorry to hear the news, and I know you're not here to answer to this, but after I heard what happened I felt the urge to tell everyone how I feel about this stamp, so other people won't take the same path you did. I hope you rest in peace.
If anybody wants to argue my point of view, please feel free. I have to warn you that English is not my native language, so I may be making some mistakes. I apologize for any misunderstandings.
I do not agree with this stamp. At all. I don't think death is a human right, and we don't have the right to kill or to harm ourselves. Rights are supposed to make our life better. Death can't be a right, because it's not gonna help to overcome whatever problems or situations we're going through. And this can apply both to suicide and euthanasia. Guys, hating oneself to the point of commiting suicide is not natural. People who do this are mentally ill, and they don't know what they're doing. How do you expect to overcome your problems if your dead?! And it IS coward. It's just the easy way out, no matter what methods you use to kill yourself. And being in extreme pain because of a disease doesn't give you the right to end with your life. The same goes to the doctors. People who are in a comatose state are not less humans, and therefore no one has the right to decide over their lives.
It truely is a sick society when we feel compelled to kick people who are down and is in fact IMMORAL to NOT punish these people, and that the slightest weakness should be looked down upon.
Suffering makes us stronger. It probably sounds cliche, but it's true. Running away from problems or suffering is not gonna make us happy, because the real way to reach happiness is to DEAL with your problems and overcome them. And this applies to suicide as well. Sure, we have NO FREAKING IDEA why bad things happen to us or to people we love. Who knows the real meaning of suffering? Nobody. But I like to visualize mi life as a tapestry: while we live, we only see the side that faces the floor. This side of the tapestry is a real mess, full with threads going everywhere, there is absolutely no order and the design we see makes no sense at all. But when we die, we get to see the real side of the tapestry, which is a masterpiece. And then we understand that all that mess down there was necessary, so we could have now this beautiful tapestry in front of us. I don't know you guys, but this "example" has helped me a lot. And hell I've been through some hard situations.
When your pet is in incurable agony, it would be inhumane to impose that pain on them simply because you would be sad when they die.
Yes, but this is an animal we're taking about. You can't compare an animal to a human being. Animals have some degree of intelligence and feelings, but that's pretty much it. Humans, however, have freedom, will, intellect and reason. These make us different from animals.
The human faculties I just mentioned are another reason why we don't have the right to hurt ourselves: While it's true we have freedom and will, we have intellect and reason as well, and therefore we should be able to choose to act according to the "natural law", or the laws of the universe. We all know that killing is wrong. We all know that stealing money from somebody else is wrong. We all know that love is good. Like I said before, it is wrong to harm ourselves, because it is not natural. Therefore, we do not have the right to die, nor the right to kill ourselves.
That's kinda all I wanted to say about it. I'm sorry if it is to long. I tend to get passionated about subjects like these.
Ava, I just want you to know that I completely respect your memory and your opinions. I'm really sorry you took your own life, and I hope you're in a better place now. My condolences to your family and friends, who will miss you, just like everyone here in DevArt.
R.I.P
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"If anybody wants to argue my point of view, please feel free."
Will do!
"Rights are supposed to make our life better."
Says who? I've always been under the impression that rights were meant to allow people to live their own lives and control the direction of their own lives as THEY see fit, without having to worry about other people imposing their views on them and forcing them to live a life they don't want to live.
"Guys, hating oneself to the point of commiting suicide is not natural."
Get off the computer then, and go live in the woods, and never visit a doctor or take medication ever again, if you wanna be "natural."
It's also not always about "hating" yourself, it's sometimes just about wanting to end suffering.
"People who do this are mentally ill, and they don't know what they're doing."
Yeah, many times, they are. Sometimes logic flies out the window and they kill themselves because of pure emotion. But sometimes they're not. Sometimes people come to a reasoned conclusion that they want to die. You can deny it all you want, but it happens. A conclusion these people have a right to make on their own.
"How do you expect to overcome your problems if your dead?!"
OBVIOUSLY someone committing suicide knows they're gonna be dead. They're depressed, not retarded. The point of suicide is not to "overcome a problem," it's to make the pain STOP when they see it as the only way out.
"therefore no one has the right to decide over their lives."
And yet they DO have a right to decide over their own lives when that person wants to die? Hypocrisy, much?
"Suffering makes us stronger."
And what good will strength do you, if you have a terminal illness and are about to DIE? What, you think their ghost will emerge from their bodies looking like a body builder?
"Running away from problems or suffering is not gonna make us happy"
Neither will suffering in agony until your death.
"because the real way to reach happiness is to DEAL with your problems and overcome them."
Unfortunately not everyone can be fucking Rambo. People aren't doing something wrong just because they're incapable of "overcoming" something extremely difficult. It's like saying weak people are wrong simply for being weak. That if a strong person beats up a weak person, it's the weak person's fault for not being able to fight back.
"Humans, however, have freedom, will, intellect and reason. These make us different from animals. "
And yet, you want to deny someone's freedom, their will, the ability to use their intellect and reason to make the choice to end their own lives? You claim animals are inferior beings that have less value and rights, and yet you take that to mean that an animal should have more of a right to die than a human? Do you not realize how this makes absolutely zero sense?
"we have intellect and reason as well, and therefore we should be able to choose to act according to the "natural law", or the laws of the universe."
We have intellect and reason, and therefore we should choose to act according to what YOU believe is right? That doesn't make any sense. Who says we need to follow "natural law" or the "laws of the universe," what are "the laws of the universe"? The laws Rous2010 decided were the laws of the universe?
"Like I said before, it is wrong to harm ourselves, because it is not natural."
You're using the same reasoning anti-gay people use. "It's not natural" is not an argument regarding morality, it's a shoddy justification. Nature and morality and two entirely different concepts.
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Hi! This is a quite... um... interesting response. I wanted to let you know that I'm going on vacation for two weeks, which means I won't be able to answer to this or any of your previous replies. I will do it as soon as I can. Thank you!
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Yeah yeah, every time I get a reply like this, I never hear from the person ever again. Sure you will.
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Oh, don't worry, I'm back now and ready to answer.
First of all, I should clarify what natural law is, because apparently you think I just made it up. Natural Law is a law whose content is set by nature and therefore has validity everywhere, because certain rights or values are inherent in human reason. Besides, Natural Law features in the philosophies of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and many others, and it has been cited in the United States Declaration of Independence AND in the Constitution of many countries. ([link] and [link] )
See? you just gotta do the research and know what you're talking about.
The main feature of personal autonomy, the ability of deciding over your own life, is the fact of being alive, and it requires individual responsibility. A person is free to act according to his nature. Therefore, ending life means to destroy the roots of freedom and autonomy of the individual. This is why taking your own life is not a right. ([link] and [link] . They're in Spanish).
Get off the computer then, and go live in the woods, and never visit a doctor or take medication ever again, if you wanna be "natural."
You know perfectly well I don't mean that kind of "natural." And I know its not always about hating yourself, but if you are willing to take your own life, hurting yourself, then you must have little respect for yourself.
Sometimes people come to a reasoned conclusion that they want to die.
How can it be a reasoned conclusion? There is nothing logical about wanting to die. If committing suicide was reasonable, it wouldn't wrong, would it?
what good will strength do you, if you have a terminal illness and are about to DIE?
SO WHAT? We are all going to die someday, right? But we still make plans for our future, we still overcome difficulties and we still find a way to live everyday. The fact of knowing when you're going to die doesn't mean that you are not gonna be able to do all this! It is possible to see a terminal illness as a human experience that must be faced with strength and courage.
People aren't doing something wrong just because they're incapable of "overcoming" something extremely difficult.
Of course not, but that doesn't mean that you have to sit down and say: I cant do this, Im too weak. Being incapable of overcoming difficulties is not the same as giving up. You just gotta keep fighting, because there is always a way out.
And yet, you want to deny someone's freedom, their will, the ability to use their intellect and reason to make the choice to end their own lives?
Like I told you, dying is not a right. Humans are able to overcome suffering, animals not. Besides, the human faculties are supposed to follow Natural Law, and its not natural wanting to kill yourself.
By the way, Iβm on my summer vacations right now, and I wonβt be around often. So don't feel offended if I don't answer right away.
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"Natural Law is a law whose content is set by nature and therefore has validity everywhere, because certain rights or values are inherent in human reason."
Natural law is nothing more than a BS philosophy that tries to come up with crappy reasons to justify treating subjective opinions as facts. It's nothing but your opinion, it's not some rule that we all have to follow. Don't just copy/paste from wikipedia and pretend to know what you're talking about, okay?
"Besides, Natural Law features in the philosophies of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and many others, and it has been cited in the United States Declaration of Independence AND in the Constitution of many countries."
So? Other people believed it, therefore it's absolutely true and we all have to obey it like a dictator? What sense does that make? None.
You do realize that the declaration of independence has ABSOLUTELY NO LEGAL BINDING IN U.S. LAW AT ALL. It's nothing but a break up letter to the British. And nothing in the constitution requires the government to obey that philosophy. So sorry, you have nothing.
"See? you just gotta do the research and know what you're talking about."
Just because my opinion differs from yours and you can copy/paste wikipedia doesn't mean I haven't done research honey.
"The main feature of personal autonomy, the ability of deciding over your own life, is the fact of being alive, and it requires individual responsibility."
AKA you don't think people should have the right to die only because you don't personally approve of their choice. NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
"A person is free to act according to his nature. Therefore, ending life means to destroy the roots of freedom and autonomy of the individual."
Being alive is a right, not a REQUIREMENT. Having certain freedoms is also a right, but nothing stops you from restricting yourself, which is why your argument here falls flat on its face. People have a right to have opinions and freedom of speech, but nothing says they HAVE to open your mouth and talk. If someone wants to put an end to their personal autonomy, that is THEIR choice and THEIR right.
Freedom means not having that choice being made FOR YOU BY OTHER PEOPLE, something YOU are trying to do.
"You know perfectly well I don't mean that kind of "natural.""
Then what kind of "natural" are you talking about, what other definition of natural is there that you're using? Because it seems like you're just making the common and yet extremely dumb mistake of equating the word "natural" to "anything I don't personally approve of." Natural doesn't mean what you think it means.
"And I know its not always about hating yourself, but if you are willing to take your own life, hurting yourself, then you must have little respect for yourself."
Which is really just a stupid generalization/stereotype, nothing but an assumption you made and little else, and has nothing to do with whether or not people should have the right to take their own lives if they want.
"How can it be a reasoned conclusion? There is nothing logical about wanting to die. If committing suicide was reasonable, it wouldn't wrong, would it?"
Your subjective opinion, but has no factual basis. If someone is suffering and going to die anyway, a LOGICAL thing to do would be to end your life now and stop the suffering before you end up dying in agony.
"But we still make plans for our future, we still overcome difficulties and we still find a way to live everyday."
You REALLY need to get out of your sheltered little bubble. What difficulties can you overcome if you are IN AGONIZING PAIN AND GOING TO DIE? What if you can't even fucking MOVE? What if you just WANT THE SHIT TO END? Who the hell are you to tell them they can't end it before it gets really bad?
You really need to get your head out of your ass and stop trying to justify forcing your personal opinions choices on everyone else through the law.
"Of course not, but that doesn't mean that you have to sit down and say: I cant do this, Im too weak."
It doesn't mean you have to stand up and pretend you can overcome something when you can't, either. Face the facts, honey, not everyone is made of steel and bullets.
"Being incapable of overcoming difficulties is not the same as giving up. You just gotta keep fighting, because there is always a way out."
Wrong. Stop watching TV specials about miracles and shit, because that stuff is a RARITY at best. Until you find a cure for cancer, there IS NOT always a "way out." If you're in bed and you can't fucking move, and you're about to DIE IN AGONY, what else can you do other than die? Why not just go a little less painfully then?
"Like I told you, dying is not a right."
Sorry but it is, you saying it's not won't change the fact that it is.
Besides, you're a fan of what's "natural" right? DYING IS NATURAL, so why wouldn't we have a right to do it?
"Humans are able to overcome suffering, animals not."
You don't even know anything about animals, do you?
"Besides, the human faculties are supposed to follow Natural Law, and its not natural wanting to kill yourself."
We are? According to who? Which fucking god dictates that we're "supposed" to follow natural law? You?
God, you're so freaking arrogant, it's insane.
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THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.
All the things I say, all the "natural" stuff I mention, everything, IS JUST MY OPINION. I'm not saying that everyone should be ruled by what I think is right. I'm only saying that I DO believe there is a way out of suffering, without having to kill yourself. I know it, because I've been there. I've been through a lot of stuff and I know what pain is like, physical and mental pain. But I also know what is like to OVERCOME IT. Do you think I would be telling you that it's possible if I hadn't experienced it myself? I could have easily killed myself from the trauma I suffered. But I didn't. Why? Because I think there is always a way out.
What's the point of living if you're gonna give up as soon as something bad happens to you? What's the point of having dignity if society can kill the sick and old people whenever they feel like?
You said it yourself. Death is a natural part of life. Just like breathing, or blinking. Do you have a right to breathe? No. You just do it. Do you have the right to blink? No. Do you have the right to die? No. You don't choose to die, you don't choose to breathe, you don't choose to be born from a woman. That's just the way life is.
We're all gonna die someday. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a couple of years. Who knows? Life has a lot to offer, you just gotta STAND UP AND FIGHT. I'm sorry if this is too cheesy for you, but that's the way I think. "My life sucks." "I have a terminal illness, so all I can do is sit around and wait for death" BAAAAW. Life is hard, get over it.
A girl from my country (Daniela GarcΓa, in case you wanna google her) had an accident several years ago. She fell off a train and lost her legs and arms. When she woke up, she found herself in the middle of the railway, with no legs and no arms. She realized that another train was coming. She knew she had two options: stay there and wait for the train to end her suffering, or roll over and save herself. She chose to live. Now, she's a succesful doctor, she got married and has two kids. AND she wrote a book about her experience. SEE? It is possible. And don't start with the whole "not everyone can do it" thing, because that's a coward and pathetic excuse many people use to take the easy way out.
Oh, and I'm arrogant?
Sorry but it is, you saying it's not won't change the fact that it is.
Wrong. Stop watching TV specials about miracles and shit...
Which is really just a stupid generalization/stereotype, nothing but an assumption you made and little else...
Do I even have to go on about this?
But you know what? I'm tired. I already told you my opinion, and I'm asking you to respect it, the same way I respect yours. I know I'm not gonna change the way you think, and you certainly won't change the way I feel about euthanasia. End of story.
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