Although I believe suicide is a selfish act, I don't think the person has to stay and suffer. When that man committed suicide, and I know this will sound cold, my first thought was, "Good! Now his family can get on with their lives."

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Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."

Question for all...

If your mother told you that she decided that she was tired of life and was going to commit suicide tomorrow, what whould you do? Would you say, "okay, it's your right so have fun," or would you do everything you could to stop her?

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

To the OP:

We have the right to life, the government gives that to us. The only way these "rights" exist is if we have autonomy to use them, otherwise they are demands. For instance, we do not have the right to pay taxes, we are demanded to. Because there is no choice in the matter, it is not a right.

When a cop arrests you, you have the right to remain silent, meaning you have the freedom to do so, you must choose whether or not to use it.

Suppose then we have the right to life, a choice to live or die given to us by the government. It is our choice. Now let us say the government says we cannot choose whether we live or die. Is it any longer a right? No.

Because I believe the government should respect the rights of the people especially when it gives them the right and does a damn expensive job of protecting it what with Anti-terror and Anti-abortion campaigns, I'd say they better not tell me whether or not I can commit suicide.

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"Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike the least." -Robert Byrne-

I'd catch the first plane to Oklahoma and spend time with her to try and make her feel better. If she had an incurable and extremely painful disease and wanted to end it because of that, I'd go and be with her and hold her while she did AFTER ascertaining that there was no other way to ease her suffering.

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Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."

I'd try to stop her, but in the end it's up to the person. Although it would prob be brought on by depression which IS a mental illness.

An incurable disease is something that most anti-suicide advocates accept, like me. When the person is going to be dieing soon as it is, and keeping them alive is only causing pain, and not saving anything, but let's assume that you don't know why she made that choice. She hasn't told you, she just said that she would.

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

I know that you know your mother better than any of us here and that I'm making somewhat of a leap. But most people feel that same way, even about those that they don't know all that well. If someone told you (someone that you kind of knew, but not that close) that they would commit suicide, most people's first thought is they are probably mentally ill and need help.

That thought shows a lack of respect for the person's "right" to choose to end their life. When they make that choice, the first thought is that they are probably mentally ill and they should be stopped, for their own sake. It is easy to do nothing and feel no guilt when there is no one that is suicidal actually talking to you.

I have known one person who actually commited suicide (my brother-in-law's best friend), and three people that have attempted (brother-in-law {in depression from his friend commiting suicide}, cousin's friend's sister, and a family friend). Even in the case where is was my cousin's friend's sister that attempted to commit suicide, I could see how it hurt those around her and not just her direct family, but friends of the direct family. If my best friend was emotionally very hurt by something (suicide or not), I can feel his pain too.

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Set your destination with your heart, get there with your mind.

"The wisest men follow their own direction." - Euripides

i would have to say that really puts it into perspective. and there is no dought about it. i would give a rats a** if it was her right. i would do all i could to help her and keep her here and happy.

Thing is, the majority of suicides are performed by people suffering from severe depression or related mental illnesses. I have lost 2 close people to it...a boyfriend, and a sister in law. My SIL was manic depressive and despite meds and doctors still took her life. Selfish? No. She was ill. It's not like she said, "I'm going to eat all the cake, and leave you none." That's selfish.

Now, if you are talking euthenasia, that's different. Many people with deadly and painful emminent deaths in their future make clear headed decisions to end their life painlessly. That is different. But mental illness should be treated, because the vast majority of those people would choose health and happiness if they could, IMO.

Bingo, now the only case where I find suicide un justified is when young kids do it over trivial issues. For example someone at school called a 13 year old girl a whore, so she gets upset and takes to many pills in a fit of panic and dies. That's different, imo than someone with a true mental illness.