//As differences we could note that perhaps the person on the ledge is young and otherwise well while the candidate for euthanasia or assisted suicide is suffering physically.//

We could also note that the person on the ledge has probably been diagnosed with a mental illness. Their judgement is impaired and they have a diminished capacity to make rational decisions.

The euthanasia candidate, on the other hand, is more likely to be in full possession of all their marbles and to have made a considered and rational decision as to when they wish to end their life - something I regard as a basic human right, a right that Mr. Russell would seek to deny them. Apparently he feels he has more of a right to decide when people should live and die than the people in question, which strikes me as a bit arrogant.

//We are making judgements.//

You sure are, Mr. Russell. You are judging rational people as having less capacity than yourself to make a reasonable determination of when they have the right to seek euthanasia. But since you aren't aware of their personal circumstances and they are, I think they have more capacity to make these sort of decisions because you lack a lot of the necessary information.

Which is why choices like these should be left to the individual, not interfering busy-bodies like Mr. Russell.

Lifeline Crisis Support & Suicide Prevention Service: 13 11 14

We do not have to be born. However, we do have a right to decide we no longer wish to live and follow that decision. We must not work to prevent all suicides.

So it seems like you have difficulties judging the values of different peoples lives. Anyone who pretends to value all life the identically is lying or getting instructions from imaginary friends in the sky.

Noone would be equally upset at the news of a 100 year old person passing away, vs a baby/toddler. No one would deny that the death of someone involved in charities/care/community service is as regretful as a pedophile/rapist.

If you accept that life can be valued differently for different people when we discuss the extremes, you can continue these comparisons to reach your own judgements. I don't expect everyone to agree in these judgements, but I also don't expect to force anyone to accept my own value judgments.

In regards to the comparison you used for the person with a mental illness wanting to commit suicide, and the aged/ill person, obviously most people would agree that suicide should be prevented in these situations. The tools available to us include mental health counseling, support groups, treatment of the primary illness with modern medicine, as well as relief from suffering where a treatment is not available. Sure, the lives may be valued differently by some, but still valued none-the-less.

This then brings me to how you address suffering, or I should say do not address suffering. Yep you completely neglect to discuss this. So what about those suffering with the most terrible inflictions where there are no possible treatments or even relief?

The fact that those with terminal diseases, incurable illnesses, or severe pain and distress want to end their lives is tragic like you say. It is tragic that their quality of life is so diminished that they themselves would rather not continue living. However the fact that people like you think that you can tell someone of sound mind and judgment, who is facing suffering greater than you can even imagine, for the rest of their probably short lives, that you have decided to force them to continue living in pain is as evil as inflicting this pain and suffering on the person yourself

david f,

We can still work to prevent all suicides, however where we can't prevent suicides with the tools available to us, and pain and suffering goes unrelieved, we can work to support the decisions of those who no longer wish to live in this manner.

I am sick of this "we MUST do something about something", from people who set themselves up to 'do things' either for money or kudos and the fact they like telling other people what to do.

If a person decides that his or her life is so bad that it is no longer worth living, it's not for the rest of us to decide differently for them. We have no idea how they feel; and people who have come to the point of suicide are not going to discuss it with anyone else so they they can interfere as this fellow wants to.

I doubt that this meddler has known the despair of an unsuccessful suicide who has been stopped from completing the act by a meddler or as the result of a botched attempt.

The author's statement "‘elephant in the room’ that is euthanasia and assisted suicide" pretty much screwsup/contradicts his other wish list item "we must work to prevent all suicides".

I think there are many different types of suicide:

- golly I'm bored, rich and famous, made it and so there is nothing else: Marilyn Monroe, Amy Winehouse and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams#Addiction_and_health_problems

- people with a terminal illness and living in pain, who understandibly want and deserve to speed things up

- kids of late teens, have never fitted in, no job, no hope that they can see, join IS? as an adventurous way of committing suicide. Normal sad kids.

- an older category whose depression is preventable and reversable.

The author does the issue and differences a disservice.

Pete