Death with Dignity or Legalized Suicide?

[David]

Death with Dignity or legalized Suicide? This just in...

Maryland Gubernatorial Candidates Urged to Pledge to Pass Death-With-Dignity Law

Two Candidates Already Have Made Pledge

(Annapolis, Md. – May 6, 2014) The nation’s leading end-of-life choice organization, Compassion & Choices, challenged Maryland’s gubernatorial candidates to pledge to pass death-with-dignity legislation if they are elected because most voters support such laws.

On April 15, Del. Heather Mizeur became the first Maryland gubernatorial candidate to publically pledge to pass death-with-dignity legislation if she is elected governor. On April 24, the leading gubernatorial candidate in the polls, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, reportedly said he supported a death-with-dignity bill as a delegate and would support such legislation as governor.

The pledge challenge is timely because it was issued one day before the first statewide broadcast of a gubernatorial debate on Maryland Public Television and NBC affiliates in Washington, D.C., and Hagerstown, Md., on Wed. May 7, 7pm-8pm ET, and streamlined live on www.nbcwashington.com.

“Death with dignity is a winning issue everywhere it’s polled. It garners majority support among voters across the political spectrum in blue states like Vermont and in purple states like Montana,” said Mickey MacIntyre, chief program officer for Compassion & Choices. “Voters support death with dignity because it ensures that the government will not interfere in very intimate, personal family decisions about end-of-life care.”

In Vermont, a 2012 poll showed 74 percent of voters favored -- and 63 percent strongly favored -- allowing a mentally competent adult who is dying of a terminal disease with no hope of recovery the choice to bring about his own death. In Montana, a 2013 poll showed 69 percent of voters supported -- and 48 percent strongly supported -- allowing a mentally competent adult who is dying of a terminal disease and in extreme pain to choose to end his or her life in a humane and dignified way.

Death-with-dignity laws allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults the option to request from their physician a prescription they can choose to self-administer and die peacefully if they find that their dying process becomes unbearable.

Mizeur’s and Brown’s pledges follow Vermont gubernatorial candidate Peter Shumlin’s campaign promise to pass a death-with-dignity bill. He won and fulfilled that pledge last May when Vermont became the fourth state to legalize death with dignity, but the first state to do it via legislative action thanks to bipartisan support. Republicans who voted to pass the law included the daughter of former Vermont Governor Richard Snelling, state Senator Diane Snelling, and a former House Minority Leader, state Rep. Patti Komline.

In addition, Connecticut state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield won a special election for a state Senate seat last February, after speaking eloquently on the campaign trail about how watching his mother’s end-of-life suffering led him to support a death-with-dignity bill. He defeated a candidate who said he would vote against the legislation.

With more than 30 local groups and 60,000 members and supporters throughout the United States, Compassion & Choices leads the end-of-life choice movement. We support, educate and advocate. Learn more at: www.compassionandchoices.org.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

They repeal the death penalty, then say it's ok to kill yourself?

 

[Tilted]

Both.

The right to kill oneself seems one of those fundamental rights that a society that would consider itself free, that esteems individual liberty to even a modest degree, would have to respect. One's choice to die rather than go on living - like one's choice of what to think or what to put in their body - seems of the most personal, most intimate, nature.

 

[RPMDAD]

I personally am all for it, have seen too many loved ones wither away and die, going through entirely too much suffering.

 

[Larry Gude]

Both.

The right to kill oneself seems one of those fundamental rights that a society that would consider itself free, that esteems individual liberty to even a modest degree, would have to respect. One's choice to die rather than go on living - like one's choice of what to think or what to put in their body - seems of the most personal, most intimate, nature.

And, as such, decidedly at odds with the ideology of the land of "We know what's best for you"

 

[acommondisaster]

There are those who would say anyone wanting to kill themselves is not of sound mind.

 

[vraiblonde]

Both.

The right to kill oneself seems one of those fundamental rights that a society that would consider itself free, that esteems individual liberty to even a modest degree, would have to respect. One's choice to die rather than go on living - like one's choice of what to think or what to put in their body - seems of the most personal, most intimate, nature.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? It still shocks me that anyone would think the freaking government has any right whatsoever to literally legislate your life.

 

[kwillia]

There are those who would say anyone wanting to kill themselves is not of sound mind.

And I never understood why that should mean they can't chose to end thier own life. In fact a damaged mind could be just as much reason to no longer want to suffer as a damaged body.

 

[Larry Gude]

You'd think so, wouldn't you? It still shocks me that anyone would think the freaking government has any right whatsoever to literally legislate your life.

Why? Lots of people think the right to keep and bear arms has nothing to do with the individual.

Lots of people think you should have to buy whatever product or service the government is excited about at any given moment

Lots of people think the state has the right to make you wear a seat belt or helmet.

Lots of people think it is the states business what you ingest.

I had to register for the draft at 18


We lay all sorts of claims over one another via the government.

 

[luvmygdaughters]

I've watched loved ones go thru the humiliation and degradation of not being able to care for themselves any longer. There quality of life was non-existent. I, for one, am hoping this passes. I didn't allow my 18 year old dog to go thru the suffering that I've seen doctors put loved ones thru just for the sake of the insurance.

 

[Roman]

The Law has a right to protect you against yourself. That's what they say, but I believe that a person has a right to end their suffering which ever way they choose.