Assisted Suicide

The television documentary about Craig Ewert's decision to take his own life, with the help of the Swiss organisation Dignitas, has reignited the debate about assisted suicide.

Provoking such a debate seems to have been one of his aims.

Sky's Real Lives, screened on Wednesday, showed the moment of death of motor neurone disease patient Mr Ewert, 59, of Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

His wife Mary told the BBC: "Craig wasn't interested in this as his personal story, he was interested in people actually coming to grips with death, with the fact of death - I think that's often hidden from us. It's very sanitised.

"He wanted to use his decision and his death to demonstrate what actually happens, so that people could see it was very peaceful, that it was a rational decision on his part."

But the programme and the brouhaha surrounding it have also highlighted the currently uncertain state of the law.

Now for those that have heard of this story, i'm sure you'll aggree it's incredible. It is not against the law to assist people with suicide in this clinic in Switzerland. But what I thought was disturbing is that they televised it.

I think that is wrong. He decided to demonstrate his death to show other's you don't have to be afraid of death. Not everyone feels the same way. TV can go too far but this time they have crossed the line.

What do you all think?

My views on assisted suicide are simple: it shouldn't be illegal. I think everyone has the right to choose to end their lives if they see fit to do so, and as long as the decision isn't rushed into or anything like that.

As for televising it, I wouldn't watch it, but I think people who're against assisted suicide should watch it for their own educational purposes. I think the reason it's being put on television in the first place is actually help educate everyone, weather they agree or disagree with the suicide itself.

However, there is that part of me that wonders if those who agreed to show it are just doing it as some sick publicity stunt for their television channel. But, even if that is the case of the producers, I know this isn't the case with those actually involved in the suicide. They're doing it for reasons they consider to be right, and helpful to others.

And, let's not forget: nobody's forcing anyone to watch this.

Kitai wrote:My views on assisted suicide are simple: it shouldn't be illegal. I think everyone has the right to choose to end their lives if they see fit to do so, and as long as the decision isn't rushed into or anything like that.

Well, there's a reason it's illegal, and that is preventing people from encouraging people to die and then getting off on assisted suicide instead of murder. Prevents loopholes. Granted, if people really want to die and need help the other person shouldn't be prosecuted but the law can't protect all the people all the time. The current state of affairs does, however, serve to prevent murder in a small degree.

However, on televising it: tv is a business like anything else and should be free to do what they want. If you ban something like this on the grounds that not everyone feels the same way, you might as well ban all news channels for being liberally biased, all opinion channels for obvious reasons, and all talk soaps because obviously not all people agree with all advice.

kitai wrote:However, there is that part of me that wonders if those who agreed to show it are just doing it as some sick publicity stunt for their television channel.

Of course. Works pretty well, don't you agree?

Tank wrote:Well, there's a reason it's illegal, and that is preventing people from encouraging people to die and then getting off on assisted suicide instead of murder. Prevents loopholes. Granted, if people really want to die and need help the other person shouldn't be prosecuted but the law can't protect all the people all the time. The current state of affairs does, however, serve to prevent murder in a small degree.

Yeah, I do see what you mean. If it were ever made legal here, it would have to be highly policed, to ensure people weren't "bullying" others into taking their own lives, and to ensure that what was being carried out was actually assisted suicide, completely and utterly by the victim's (is that even the right word?) request.

I don't think it'd be as easy as someone just saying "I want to die now, please". I think there'd have to be a system to it, like papaerwork to be filled out and signed or something. And possibly checks on the person requesting, so that they know for sure it's not something they've rushed into, or been forced into, etc.

It's a very completed matter, but I really do think the govenment should look into more, instead of just dismissing it. I mean, they must be able to see how desperate people are if they're willing to travel to other countries to do this. And their friends/family are willing to risk being prosecuted to help them achieve this.

Any government above the organization level of village elder is incapable of enforcing the law on a case-by-case basis. To allow room for exceptions is to give people loopholes, reason to argue, and local interpretation of the law which can lead to one region of the country having completely different laws than the next. All in all, it's an impossible concept to try to maintain. In an ideal world, sure.