Sorry everyone, the words were the real point. Not the picture.

Don't ask me to be insulted and stay silent....it's tantamount to asking me to keep my hands in my pockets if someone punches me in the pub.

There is considerable difference in an internet squabble over the ether, where no one gets hurt except some ego's from a perceived sleight that may or may not have occurred, to someone throwing a punch in a bar room fracas.

My point is, it is the internet, to continue this brawl over many threads is not only counter productive it is now particularly boring.

I enjoy a good free for all, but when it is the same old garbage and tin hats being thrown by the same old protaginists, you sometimes have to stop and think and just let it go.

It is a little like Ian Botham standing up to Lillee and Thompson and a barrage of bouncers, generally he let them fly harmlessly by and doesn't get into a macho brawl, other times he would crash them to the boundary and score 153 off about four balls and yet other times he would be skittled like some novice in his first test.

Howszatt anyone?

There also has to be some kind of safe guard against certain vulnerable people being manipulated by other unscrupulous relatives or friends or guardians

That's a very good point. But nothing in life is perfect and if someone is clear-headed enough to want death (what was that old Richard Dreyfuss movie from about 30 years ago?) then there shouldn't be a question. It gets more complicated when they are hooked up to a machine and can't speak for themselves.

Amongst those of us that are in qualified agreement over euthanasia, this is one of the important qualifications. You have addressed an aspect, that of being "clear-headed".

Is clear-headedness the only qualification?

You could argue wanting to kill yourself isn't a very clear-headed idea in the first place. Then again, you could say the same about killing anyone else, stealing a car, sleeping with your spouse's best friend, betting on England to win the World Cup this year, etc.

The film I mentioned earlier is "Whose Life is it Anyway", 1981. Dreyfuss plays a sculpter who becomes paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident and wants to be allowed to die. He has to argue that he is of sound mind - if not body. I forget how it ends so you guys will have to download it. Unless you feel that's theft then ask at your local DVD rental shop.

It's a true story. His name was Ramon Sampedro and he killed himself with cyanide.

It's a true story. His name was Ramon Sampedro and he killed himself with cyanide.

 

As long as we are on Mr. Sampedro and the movie itself, the opening of the movie, with the ballet dancer, has to be one of the most beautiful openings in any movie I have ever seen.

Freedom of choice is key, and unfortunately sadly lacking in most countries. Too many people, who have no real experience of this whatsoever, impose their views on others, saying that it is unacceptable and make it illegal.

When you actually go thru this situation with a loved one, the answer (either way) is usually obvious.

Sure there'll be exceptions and some cases that are not clear cut, but it would be nice if society could hand back the trust to the many, instead of protecting the few.

My dad was terminally ill. He reached a stage where he had said his goodbyes several times and wanted to leave us but couldn't. He even asked us on several occasions to help him die. Unless you've ever had tears in your eyes saying you can't and that that you're sorry you can't, you'll never understand how much it means to some people to take away their rights to their own dignity and destiny.