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Dear Paul (the author),

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Life and death are fundamental human rights. Nobody has the right to prevent anybody from living or dying against his or her will.

It is evident that many of those who see no solution to their problems, apart from ending their lives, may change their minds on receiving competent on-going assistance from somebody who cares.

That is what we, as compassionate human beings, should provide : assistance, offered (not imposed) with as much tact and delicacy as humanly possible.

When death is a deliberate, carefully reasoned decision taken by the person concerned - not just an impulsive, emotional reaction - society should facilitate access to the most humane method of euthanasia that modern science can allow.

Democracy and justice have been insensitive far too long to the pain and suffering of people wishing to lawfully exercise their right to life and death. They are left with no other choice but to have recourse, alone with their solitude and in a terrible state of It is the duty of mature, civilised societies to provide the means despair, to the most barbaric, inhuman and expeditious methods in order to carry out their macabre enterprise.

for their citizens to have access to a peaceful and painless death, preferably in a warm, cosy environment - if that is their personal decision.

Naturally, there is a need for a certain number of safeguards to protect the vulnerable from the malevolent influence of ill-intentioned persons in their entourage. Just as there should be psychological, medical and social assistance for those who are in need of them.

The ill and suffering must also continue to have full, unrestricted access to the best available professional palliative care at all times, whether they decide to end their lives or not.

The provision by society of a calm, peaceful and orderly death also allows those of religious faith to receive spiritual solace if they so desire - which is impracticable when they throw themselves off cliff-tops, blow their brains out, lay down on rail tracks, or slit their wrists and bleed to death.

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Dear Paul (the author),

.

Life and death are fundamental human rights. Nobody has the right to prevent anybody from living or dying against his or her will.

It is evident that many of those who see no solution to their problems, apart from ending their lives, may change their minds on receiving competent on-going assistance from somebody who cares.

That is what we, as compassionate human beings, should provide : assistance, offered (not imposed) with as much tact and delicacy as humanly possible.

When death is a deliberate, carefully reasoned decision taken by the person concerned - not just an impulsive, emotional reaction - society should facilitate access to the most humane method of euthanasia that modern science can allow.

Democracy and justice have been insensitive far too long to the pain and suffering of people wishing to lawfully exercise their right to life and death. They are left with no other choice but to have recourse, alone with their solitude and in a terrible state of despair, to the most barbaric, inhuman and expeditious methods in order to carry out their macabre enterprise.

It is the duty of mature, civilised societies to provide the means for their citizens to have access to a peaceful and painless death, preferably in a warm, cosy environment - if that is their personal decision.

Naturally, there is a need for a certain number of safeguards to protect the vulnerable from the malevolent influence of ill-intentioned persons in their entourage. Just as there should be psychological, medical and social assistance for those who are in need of them.

The ill and suffering must also continue to have full, unrestricted access to the best available professional palliative care at all times, whether they decide to end their lives or not.

The provision by society of a calm, peaceful and orderly death also allows those of religious faith to receive spiritual solace if they so desire - which is impracticable when people throw themselves off cliff-tops, blow their brains out, lay down on rail tracks, or slit their wrists and bleed to death.

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Hi there DAVID F...

I've always respected your enormous intellect, and once again you've shown how clearly you can think. You said inter alia '...we do not have to be born...' finishing with '...we must not work to prevent all suicides...' ? I can understand your thinking, when one is old, unwell, lonely or just fed-up with living, one might contemplate suicide.

My first wife, who I loved dearly even though we were divorced, committed suicide in March of last year. Consequently I've been left with an enormous level of guilt, a guilt I'll carry to my grave. You see David, it's those who are left behind who suffer. Suicide has an profound effect upon all of those who remain, even though the deceased no longer has to bear the problem or problems. Elizabeth's best friend was heartbroken by her death as well, so the living also suffers, only they suffer much, much longer.

Dear o sung wu,

It is a great loss when anyone you are close to dies. Suicide can be a selfish act when your parting causes grief to others. Who am I to pass judgment on others? Who am I to weigh one person's sorrow at continuing to live in misery as against the sorrow of another person who will mourn their passing?

We may try to do our best, but we can't even be sure what is best. My first wife died of natural causes at 89. I grieve for her. Yesterday I got news that a good friend died. One can't live without suffering. The end of life is the end of suffering.

I feel I am blathering so I will stop.

o sung wu,

It must have come as a horrific shock. Unreal. A nightmare.

It is only natural to be deeply affected and to wonder why and what we might have done, if only.

You are in mourning.

It is good that you feel able to reach out. That bodes well for you.

Be constantly aware that notwithstanding the anonymous nature of forums like this the people are real. There are others who care.

Take courage and keep posting

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My mother-in-law used to get very upset whenever my wife and I had to drive back to Paris after a quiet weekend in the country. It was a three to four hours drive on the very busy “Autoroute du Soleil” that runs all the way down to the Côte d’Azur on the Mediterranean Sea.

She lived alone and my wife was her only child.

There were no mobile phones in those days so there was no way we could warn her if we were held up by the traffic.

She used to worry herself sick at the thought that we might have an accident.

“What will happen to me if you get killed or are paraplegic for the rest of your lives?” she used to demand when we finally breezed in.

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