Suicide

[DeadPoolX 9]

I'm sure this has been brought up before, but then again, so have most discussions and polls on VJ. Anyway... I thought I've give this one a whirl and see how the answers turn out. It's self-explanatory, so I don't need to go into detail.

NOTE: This poll isn't meant to insult anyone. If you know someone who has committed suicide and you find anything in this poll rude, I apologize. It's not meant to be. I'm just trying to cover as many bases as I think I can.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Undecided

Undecided

No/No

[Jenn! 918]

Maybe. Mercy. YES/YES

I don't think mentally ill people should be "allowed" to commit suicide.

Regarding the last question - I answered with euthanasia after a painful illness in mind more than, say, helping my friend jump off a building.

[*JG* 2]

I believe in the case of terminal illness, people should have the right to choose for themselves. It is, however, a mortal sin in my religion and if I chose to go that way, they would not preside over my funeral. I'm pretty positive God would forgive me, so it doesn't worry me much.

I believe Kevorkian is helping people fulfill their wishes. I see nothing wrong with it.

I could not help anyone I loved kill themselves. I would give them my blessings; but not my help.

[Elphie 0]

Maybe {for terminal illness only, people with severe depression can hopefully be helped}

Both {I would hope that his actions are truly sincere and he didn't coerce ppl into it}

No/No {because I could not & would not terminal illness or not I would not want a family member or friend to die, some people would call that selfish especially if the person is suffering a lot, but I can admit I'm not a strong enough person for that}

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Yes/Mercy/Yes/Yes....

I equate the right to die with a woman's right to choose. I also believe mentally ill patients should be awarded the same dignity as "physically ill" patients: I've always had a with this mental/physical absurd dichotomy-- mental illness carries equal if not more pain than physical infirmity.

[Jenn! 918]

Yes/Mercy/Yes/Yes....

I equate the right to die with a woman's right to choose. I also believe mentally ill patients should be awarded the same dignity as "physically ill" patients: I've always had a with this mental/physical absurd dichotomy-- mental illness carries equal if not more pain than physical infirmity.

But isn't there a chance that the desire to commit suicide is a result of the mental illness and that if that illness could be treated, then the person would change his mind?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Yes/Mercy/Yes/Yes....

I equate the right to die with a woman's right to choose. I also believe mentally ill patients should be awarded the same dignity as "physically ill" patients: I've always had a with this mental/physical absurd dichotomy-- mental illness carries equal if not more pain than physical infirmity.

But isn't there a chance that the desire to commit suicide is a result of the mental illness and that if that illness could be treated, then the person would change his mind?

There might be sister, or there might not. Unfortunately, psychiatry is not as evolved as say oncology --- so the chances of treatment saving someone in the extreme woes of a severe and say medicine-resistant mental illness are slim, sadly. My assertion is that the pain of a person who has been chronically depressed for 25 years is comparable (not bigger or smaller) than that of a terminally ill patient.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

yes, mercy, no/no.

[mnieto 2]

I lost my Dad because of suicide and I am still angry at him. He had no right to do that and leave me as his daughter behind. As long as there is one soul on this planet that will cry after you and yearn for your presence you cannot do that. It's terribly cruel to those who loved you and cry after you. Several years have passed now and I still miss him awfully. It hurts that he won't be there at my wedding, and he'll also won't be there to see his first grand-child. And it hurts even more because he chose to miss out on all of that. Nobody should be encouraged to do something as terrible as this.

Edited April 15, 2008 by mnieto

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I lost my Dad because of suicide and I am still angry at him. He had no right to do that and leave me as his daughter behind. As long as there is one soul on this planet that will cry after you and yearn for your presence you cannot do that. It's terribly cruel to those who loved you and cry after you. Several years have passed now and I still miss him awfully. It hurts that he won't be there at my wedding, and he'll also won't be there to see his first grand-child. And it hurts even more because he chose to miss out on all of that. Nobody should be encouraged to do something as terrible as this.

Thanks for sharing

[MissStacey 1]

I know a few people who committed suicide as teenagers- I can't help but think if they had gotten help or just hung on longer that there lives would have gotten better or at least they would have learned a way to deal with their lives better.

[AtlantiCat 0]

I believe everybody has a right to die if that person believes it is his/her time.

We can send young whole strong men off to war to fight for their country and if they die in the line of duty, they are honored as heroes.

Yet we fight to keep the aged and terminally ill alive artificially with machines against their wishes and it's considered wrong to let them die.

The former is heroism, the latter is suicide. We honor heroes, we condemn suicidals.

War is unnecessary in this day and age and quality of life is more important than quantity. Risking the whole and strong in a futile gesture is as wrong as forcing those who no longer wish to live to do so.

Condemn not the soldier nor the diseased one, but the government that insists it is okay to let the one die but the other must be forced to live.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I believe everybody has a right to die if that person believes it is his/her time.

We can send young whole strong men off to war to fight for their country and if they die in the line of duty, they are honored as heroes.

Yet we fight to keep the aged and terminally ill alive artificially with machines against their wishes and it's considered wrong to let them die.

The former is heroism, the latter is suicide. We honor heroes, we condemn suicidals.

War is unnecessary in this day and age and quality of life is more important than quantity. Risking the whole and strong in a futile gesture is as wrong as forcing those who no longer wish to live to do so.

Condemn not the soldier nor the diseased one, but the government that insists it is okay to let the one die but the other must be forced to live.

Atlanticat, you have spoken wisely and from your heart. Thanks for these words

[Dr. Obvious 49]

My father tried multiple times to kill himself. After awhile, you get more annoyed and numb at the attempts than anything else. One time he drank antifreeze and the doctors told us it might be it. I was really hoping it was. There was no help for him. You just want it to be over.

If people want to kill themselves, I don`t care.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Wacken