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Devil's advocate: should that right extend to allowing people to commit suicide without any attempt at prevention?

by corin_ 16y ago

cabalamat 16y ago
You can hardly make successful suicide a crime. (Though there have been regimes that made unsuccessful suicide attempts illegal).
- xal 16y ago
  suicide is illegal in germany.
  - jrockway 16y ago
    Punishable by death?
- corin_ 16y ago
  I said "any attempt at prevention", not "making succesful suicide a crime". IANAL, but, in the UK at least, it's possible for somebody who is suicidal to be locked up for their own safety. That goes against the parent comment's logic that we have the right to do whatever we wish to our own bodies... so I'm not sure the what the issue is with my question.
  - pyre 16y ago
    I think that the logic is that you are 'not in your right mind,' though I suppose you could end up in a situation where drugs are legal, but anyone that would use them is 'not in their right mind' according to the establishment.
drivebyacct2 16y ago
It's tough because a "good" society would seek to help someone to prevent them from killing themselves. Counseling or treatment could help them. Maybe they've tried. Maybe they don't want to. Maybe they're plain tired of living. There are days that I feel bored with life. I would never do something so drastic as kill my life, but relative to many, I'm a spoiled little shit. I can only imagine how bad things could be for some. I hate it when people call those who kills themselves cowards. I couldn't imagine the pain I'd have to be in and the feeling of despair needed to kill myself. It's incredibly sad.
fourspace 16y ago
The government doesn't "allow" free people (those not in prison, psychiatric hospitals, etc.) to commit suicide; they are free to do so if they choose. Prevention is orthogonal to what I'm talking about. In fact, I'm all for helping those folks who are suicidal and will accept help. It's a shame that mental disease is one of the few afflictions that you can't admit you have, talk to others about or is even accepted as on par with more physical ailments.
idm 16y ago
Devil's advocate: is criminalization tantamount to prevention?

Devil's advocate: should that right extend to allowing people to commit suicide without any attempt at prevention?

by corin_ 16y ago

Devil's advocate: should that right extend to allowing people to commit suicide without any attempt at prevention?

You can hardly make successful suicide a crime. (Though there have been regimes that made unsuccessful suicide attempts illegal).

xal 16y ago
suicide is illegal in germany.
- jrockway 16y ago
  Punishable by death?
corin_ 16y ago
I said "any attempt at prevention", not "making succesful suicide a crime". IANAL, but, in the UK at least, it's possible for somebody who is suicidal to be locked up for their own safety. That goes against the parent comment's logic that we have the right to do whatever we wish to our own bodies... so I'm not sure the what the issue is with my question.
- pyre 16y ago
  I think that the logic is that you are 'not in your right mind,' though I suppose you could end up in a situation where drugs are legal, but anyone that would use them is 'not in their right mind' according to the establishment.

drivebyacct2 16y ago

It's tough because a "good" society would seek to help someone to prevent them from killing themselves. Counseling or treatment could help them. Maybe they've tried. Maybe they don't want to. Maybe they're plain tired of living. There are days that I feel bored with life. I would never do something so drastic as kill my life, but relative to many, I'm a spoiled little shit. I can only imagine how bad things could be for some. I hate it when people call those who kills themselves cowards. I couldn't imagine the pain I'd have to be in and the feeling of despair needed to kill myself. It's incredibly sad.

fourspace 16y ago

The government doesn't "allow" free people (those not in prison, psychiatric hospitals, etc.) to commit suicide; they are free to do so if they choose. Prevention is orthogonal to what I'm talking about. In fact, I'm all for helping those folks who are suicidal and will accept help. It's a shame that mental disease is one of the few afflictions that you can't admit you have, talk to others about or is even accepted as on par with more physical ailments.

idm 16y ago

Devil's advocate: is criminalization tantamount to prevention?