Would you help a loved one to die?

[HBK-aholic]

Assisted Suicide is illegal in the UK, and that includes flying to somewhere with a loved one where Euthanasia is legal, with the intention of them dying. People who do this can face prosecution on return to the UK. Despite this, would you do it?

This would be the hardest decision I could ever make. The most important person in the world to me is only 6, but I wouldn't be able to live without her. I can't even imagine how much pain I'd be in if anything happened to her. However, for her to ask for my help in dying in years to come, would mean she was in a huge amount of pain then. Asking for someone to assist your death would only be done by those incredibly desperate to escape a life of suffering. I'd rather me be in all that pain of not having her, than her feeling any tiny amount of pain she could ever feel. I'd rather hurt than her. And for that reason, I'd help her.

As for facing prosecution, it's one of the stupidest parts of the law. I can understand why Euthanasia is illegal here, and this thread isn't to discuss legalising it. However, I see nothing wrong with flying over to where it is legal with a loved one. I'd never let her die on her own. Which in essence, is what the UK government are forcing some people to do. I wouldn't care personally, this wouldn't affect my decision in the slightest. I'd have no reason to be around if she wasn't here, being in prison would make no difference to me.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Yeah, course I would. If I had a wife or child who was in pain I'd snuff them out. Jail? Pfft. I'm sure it's suitably horrid. Kinda like grieving for a loved one.

But on the other hand I'd never ask somebody to kill he. That's a horrible thing to do to somebody you love. ''Excuse me love, but y'know this cancer I've got? It's awful, could you please hold a pillow over my face''

 

[Tim]

Yeah, I would. Like Becca said, they have to be sufferng a lot and want to escape that suffering if they want someone's help to kill themselves. I would definately help them as much as I would be able to, but I don't think that would be enough. I'm not sure whether I could bear going with them somewhere knowing that they're going to this place to die. As for jail, you would be shocked and grieving anyway, so jail wouldn't really make that much of a difference. You might even prefer being away from you rfamily while you are grieving, knowing what you did. And the memories of what I did, no matter how small, would torture me forever. So I would help them at the time, but I would regret it in the years to come.

 

[RVDgurl]

This is a very interesting thread. I have to say that I completely support physician assisted suicide, although it is illegal in the US (there may possibly be a few states where it's legal). I could never physically help a loved one die. I have no training in the medical field, so I would not be equipped to do such as thing. In addition, such an act would be considered murder in the US. It just doesn't make sense to throw the rest of my life away. Death is an unfortunate part of life and life does have to go on after a loved one passes.

 

[Miko]

Yeah I would, if someone was in that much pain and there was little to no hope for them and they wanted to go peacefully I'd help them out however I could. If thats buying the tickets to Switzerland, passing them the syringe or whatever I would do it for a loved one.

I wouldn't care about going to jail either because I wouldnt feel like I murdered anyone but just helping the process along. I mean I completely disagree with suicide but if the person involved is dieing and in a lot of pain, has said their goodbyes and are happy to die now then I say why not? I am not going to let a little thing like my feelings prolong someones horrid life.

 

[Fizzy]

Yes I would if it meant she wasn't suffering anymore. She means so much to me that I would do ANYTHING just so she doesn't feel one ounce of pain, even if it meant assisting her to die.

Prison would be a downside but it's something I would gladly go through knowing she didn't have to suffer anymore. So yes I would help her die if she was really suffering that much and this was the only way. I really would not care about going to jail.

 

[The Undercover Man]

Yes, i would help a loved one die, i could'nt care less about the cosequences i'd rather help the family member be bereft of pain rather then seeing them suffer. It would be certainly the hardest decision ever but as we all know until we get into that position none us know how we will react, i'm writing this and saying i would help but what if we got to say Switzerland and i said i could'nt do it?

I think your decision would have to be based on what the family member wants, should'nt it? Unless your family member is severly disabled and can't decide for themselves.

What ever happens i would find it difficult to decide.

 

[Rusty]

There's no way in the world I would help someone to die, or kill another human being. No matter what the circumstances were. If everyone was mentally strong, this wouldn't be an issue at all. No matter what the circumstances were, no person should ever feel the pressure to die. If a person did want to die though, why would they want to bring others down with them. That's being selfish in their own right. If my friend wants me to help him die, why should I have to life with that for the rest of my life? I would try my absolute best to persuade them to not kill themselves. If they wanted me to kill them or to assist them in doing so, I just wouldn't do it.

I couldn't live for the rest of my life, knowing I killed another human being. Sure, people could say "but it's doing a friend a favour". In reality, it's not doing them a favour at all. Life is precious and you only get to live once, so why kill yourselves before you're old and aged?

If I personally wanted to die and I decided to ask a friend for assistance, I would feel really guilty putting that person in that horrible situation, and they would have to live with that for the rest of their lives. I wouldn't show my love by helping another to commit suicide, I would show my love by persuading them to stay alive and to get as many other people to help him/her.

 

[Buzz]

I wouldn't know the true answer to this unless the situation actually happens to someone close to me (please NO!)
What I do know is that at this moment in time I would do my best to see if there are alternative options to the person wishing to die - from a friend p.o.v I would want to do whatever's best for the friend and not want to see them sad. But from my own selfish p.o.v I do not wish to go to prison and get a criminal record as well as having to live with my feelings afterwards. I would try everything else and that would be the last last LAST resort that i would avoid at all costs. I could not do it i don't think... I would definitely tell them to think through everything - try new things - counselling... anything to get them feeling better mentally or physically

Hmm, I guess I've managed to find out my true feelings through writing it down :S But really - it sounds cowardly but it is true - I would not want anyone to die, and if they had to, I would not wish to be a part of it and have to suffer on the outside (being imprisoned) as well as suffering from my own personal feelings afterwards. I'm sorry.

 

[Sparky]

I honestly couldnt. Could you imagine helping somebody snuff themselve and then a day later they find a cure for whatever it was? it would kill me i reckon. To me it would still be murder.

I couldnt kill a complete stanger how on earth could i kjill a loved one. I would devote my whole life to find a cure i would do everything in my power to help them survive but i could never kill or help kill them.

My mum has cancer and if she asked me to do it i would lock her in a room so i know she couldnt do anything. becouse if they ask one person they will ask another until they get the answer they want.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

What a dilemma this is. I honetly don't think I would be able to do it. For selfish reasons obviously. I'd want to spend as much time with this person as I could. I guess it boils down to how much pain they were in and the circumstances surrounding it. I would probably do it. But I would never be able to live it down for the rest of my life. There would always be a whole inside of me and I would spend every minute of my life reliving the day that I helped a loved one die.