yep David and you completely ignore that killing the unborn was about the poor 15 year old who was raped. Just ask the feminist. Now its for approx 100000 per year who simply don't want to take any responsibility for their actions. Plenty of gold diggers will be putting pressure on elderly no doubt. Women have babies killed for inconvenience, why not oldies?

"As a consequence, providing assistance to commit suicide remains a serious crime in all states and territories of Australia. Three states have life imprisonment as the maximum penalty, while in others the maximum penalty varies from 5 to 25 years."

Those who are serious about observing and maintaining respect for human life would argue that the current laws be retained

Absolutely agree with runner and Loudmouth.
David already has the option of a handful of pills, a glass of wine and a bewildered, traumatized audience of loved ones.
Isn't always the way with those who want to top themselves?
Either they want to take someone with them, or force them to watch/witness a macabre, look at me look at me, life ending ritual.
And in either case, technically if temporally insane?
And not the time to impose an unsound life shortening decision.
That said David, just be sure not to overdo the sleeping pills, so as to make yourself sick, and simply throw up the intended easy way out.
No one imposed anything on your mother David!
The doctors didn't give her the cancer.
But maybe your mean penny pinching did?
And a good reason for the elderly to have annual checkups or tests, while there's time to cut out/remove the cancer?
MRI's may be costly, but no cancer is usually missed?
There are foods that literally prevent cancer, and meditation practices, that has shown to actually reverse it.
It's just not for quitters though, and you want to just give up?
Or encourage others to follow your lead?
Say two weeks before clinical trails underway in the USA, proves that we have yet another very promising breakthrough; like cancer shrinking thalidomide, that if it'd been available then, would have cured your mother? [And no, it's not suitable for pregnant women!]
How much better would we treat each other and the planet, if we simply accepted reincarnation and Karma, as literal fact? As indeed, there's no easy way out!
Rhrosty.

Dear Runner,

I am pretty convinced that David does not advocate killing either the unborn or the mature-aged. All he says is that government should not be interfering, in effect passing those cases of murder up to the higher court in heaven.

Government is a secular, violent, corrupt and unordained body, which has no moral authority to supposedly act as our guardian of morality or religion.

Keep in mind that if you allow these bastards of the government, who have no means to tell a virtue from sin or a holy scripture from sleazy literature, to exert force on sinners, then there will come a day when the wind changes and their laws turn back against religion. What will you do for example if they legislate against communion, making it illegal? Don't wait for that to happen - stop that unwholesome body now!

Legalising assisted suicide is a classic example where "hard cases" are cited to bring about what may turn out to be a bad law. The author uses libertarian arguments, though more commonly advocates cite facilitating "death with dignity" or "alleviation of suffering" as the justification.

For sake of balance you need to look at cases at the other end of the spectrum. How many people would support the assisted suicide of a distraught jilted young lover? What about a desire for suicide on the part of some students who failed their exams or people who just suffered a financial catastrophe or a traumatic divorce?

While suicide in some cases can end prolonged suffering, it has an insidious aspect. Unexpectedly finding a suicide victim can be very upsetting, especially when a person suicides by firearm, hanging or other violent means. Suicide also seems to have demonstration effects in encouraging some relatives (over the longer term) to follow suit if they suffer a trauma in life.

It is already common for doctors to allow the terminally ill to die when their lives could be prolonged through intensive care and the like. On two occasions (as next of kin) I have been asked by doctors whether I wanted my relative to be kept on life support. My answer was the same in both cases. I said I favoured saving the persons life, but not to the point where it merely meant prolonging their death.

Rhosty, are you and LEGO twins? Both of you are ignorant windbags who employ black and white thinking to all issues (see the Binoy thread).

An intelligent human knows there are many way of looking at every issues. The brain-dead tend to think in simplistic terms.

P.S. Your suggestions about my mother are tribute to your complete lack of taste, breeding and sensitivity!