I agree with you Brett. I'm retired and do some of my volunteer work in nursing homes, and I can assure you that there is no way I want to end up in a nursing home, waiting for the inevitable. I define life as quality and dignity and when they go, what's the use of quantity with no quality. Like you, when all quality is gone from my life, I hope I don't need to travel to get the drugs to end my life.

My mother had lost all quality of life as in her early 90's she had severe RA and OA, had had numerous mini-strokes, was almost blind and deaf, had severe osteoporosis and was immobile. She tried to end her life, leaving a note saying she was 'sound of mind but unsound of body.' Then insisted in reviving her so she was forced to spend her last few weeks in a nursing home but refused medication when she got pneumonia. My mother had led an active and fulfilled life and should have been able to choose to leave this life when her quality of life was gone

Well said..I agree wholeheartedly.....

But be prepared for a barrage from the bible jockeys,rights to lifers,creationists and general god botherers.
In the past I have responded to the issue of our rights to choose our time and place of dying in a reasoned manner but I don't feel inclined to continue to repeat myself. Anyone who is interested can read my past contributions under maracas.
The irony of it all is that whereas our society might criminalise suicide for whatever reason. The society can do bugger all to punish you if you decide to take your own life but punish anyone who assists as some misguided act of revenge.

Spot on.

It's time to decriminalise voluntary suicide.

And it's time to allow people to acquire the necessary exit

medication if and when they want it.

Life is precious, but when we are unable to particpate in life, it is our individual right to say thank you and leave.

Suicide is a topic that scares most people into silence. It terrifies people as they don't understand it or even want to know. But they sure as hell want to stop people who choose that.

I don't know why there is even a discussion as far as those terminally ill and/or in endless pain and losing their faculties. What right has anyone got to force them to continue suffering? It makes as much sense as when you could go to jail for a failed suicide attempt.

That was like saying "You failed! Now we'll show you what misery is really like". It's a weird society, that's for sure. People with no empathy, no understanding. Until it's their turn when they suddenly recant. Of course there's another whole range of suicides that we don't want to talk about isn't there. People who have just had enough suffering even though they may not be terminally ill etc.

People with depression. Yes many have short bouts and want out and later are glad they didn't. But there are many who have depression for life and just keep going through the lows with some relief and then back down again. Endlessly and pointlessly as they are not going to be "cured". I know, I'm one such.

I choose to live every time but if anyone reading this has experienced a period of just over 3 months when suicide was all your mind could see and think of 24/7 then you'd understand why many want an end to that pain.

I chose to live every time as I've seen the devastation suicide can cause to a family. It's like throwing a stone into a calm pond. The ripples just go on and on. From generation to generation too often. My children and that are why I choose to live and I deal with this Ok these days. Some good days, lots of Ok and some terrible etc.

But I'm lucky, I had a reason to live. Many don't and they too should have a choice other than driving into a truck or extreme self harm.

it is interesting to note that the suicide rate is three times the road toll

yet speeders get fines [and attempting to suicide get off scott free]
[financially] but you watch states will be exposaed to be proffiteering

[they [govt]wont be able to resist taxing us for 'risk behaviour' [much like a speed fine [but with every drink over a mandated limit they [we] get a speed[type] fine [for trying to hasten our death]

allready they have the stealth version of it via the health act[see constitutionally govt cant regulate our use of 'drugs' [but under the health act [designed to cover HEALTH worker's] police can police the axt as a crime [despite no clear victim[le4gally a criminal act needs a victim[no victim no crime]but they will figure a way round that

beatie rewrote the constitution into an act[lol] [act 70 of 2002]
to somehow double these fines on deemed crimes [raising near 100 million each year [from only 48,000 queenslanders CRIMINALISED by their own govt]a clear case of discriminisation , yet descrimation services wont cover the issue

anyhow killing anything is morally wrong
and allowing sufference is torture
thus many injections in hospitals are employed in the dark of night
[thats why ab-origonals hate hos-pit-als]

it should come as no supprise that many 'deaths in custody ' are deemable as suicide[mates investigate mates then if needed the boys club [the sold out legal system,] sets them free [when its ruled as suicide]

yes talking about suicide is taboo
because many arnt

but hey govt is your friend
cops are there to protect you[lol]
courts are about criminals [not criminalisation]
but hey we [they] will find a way to tax you
right into your grave
because we are the problem [not you]