Murder can be a rational act, just as suicide can. So?

The nature of my own illness means that, like many other people, I live in mortal fear of the passing of an ‘assisted suicide law’. Its track would pass through the predictable arc of assisted suicide to expected suicide to medical murder faster than you can say ‘Diazepam’. There was never going to be social abortion, remember; now there seems to be little else. We’ve also had suicide in the family.

While the balance of probabilities seems to suggest that Miss Wooltorton was an exhibitionist and hysteric of the type who, when not trying to kill herself, would spend her days singing ‘I Will Survive’, she has done us the signal service of pointing out that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is one long botch from start to finish. The no doubt crumpled and barely legible piece of paper she thrust in front of attending medics was not a living will, but a suicide note. This botched law would not seem to give attending medics the latitude to be able to over-ride a hysteric’s histrionics. Talk of breach of the Hippocratic Oath is redundant in this case I’m afraid; and having drunk poison nine times in the previous years, she should have been in a padded room to begin with.

Kaytie,

If suicide is a rational act, so then is murder. Hmm…don’t think that one will wash…

I have no idea what your point is. Perhaps you could expand?

But she sent for an ambulance. NHS staff should not be placed in a position where they are forced to collude in a suicide out of fear of legal action.

Sending for an ambulance yourself, should be sufficient indication of intent. A would-be suicide can get buyer’s remorse. It has happened before.

Sorry. Poor use of modern English. I shall translate into Newspeak:

“Only if he believes that people inappropriately addicted to unacceptable substances are also vulnerable people with mental illness issues. Which they aren’t.”

Only if he believes that all drug takes are nuts. Which they aren’t.

“I will apply dietic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.”

It seems to me moral relativism is now a virus that has hit the medical profession.

surly a doctor can judge and act not to let someone harm themselves regardless of the patients will?

Not an easy one to rationalise, whatever one’s instincts, and law has to be based on ratiocination. Doesn’t it?.

I fear that most who die prematurely when the law is changed will be reluctant, ranging from those whose murderers use euthanasia as a defence to those who feel guilty about putting their loved ones to any trouble.

Just like a business that continues to make losses goes bankrupt, a life that is continuously miserable generally does the same.

Depressed people don’t kill themselves as often as they could mostly because they can’t summon the energy to do it, and the lack of “mojo” is the real mental health problem.

I read about a woman who lost her children, any parent would understand that getting over it is not even something you would want to do. What impressed me was that she went on getting up , going to bed for a few months and then one day walked into the traffic on the motorway

To me that is entirely rational and I suspect your remorselessly cheerful nature has lead you astray here .. I agree though, if you want to die you will be dead and there is no point whatsoever in changing law which carries some sinister implications .If she really meant it its only a delay with eternity at stake .