• Michigan Senate Democrats propose bills legalizing physician-assisted death for terminally ill patients
  • The concept, legalized in 10 states and Washington, D.C., remains controversial
  • Supporters say it gives terminally ill patients more autonomy. Critics argue it’s ‘not the compassionate answer’
    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I believe you mean if your physician so chooses it. And they likely won’t unless there’s a good reason to do so.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Why should any medical procedure a doctor does be the patient’s choice? I don’t think doctors should be forced to perform procedures they don’t want to perform. Why should a doctor be forced to kill a patient that wants to die?

              • halferect@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                They aren’t saying doctors should be forced to do anything, they are saying if they want a assisted suicide that a physician can legally help.

    • treefrog@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      And this is an important point.

      Without free healthcare, assisted suicide becomes an economic choice.

      Pull the plug doc I’m in pain is what we want. Not pull the plug doc, my family will never be able to pay these bills!

    • derf82@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      That would be great, but there is no reason one should be dependent on the other.

      • treefrog@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Actually, without free healthcare assisted suicide can be as much about economic incentives as will to live.

        I.e. wanting to die so your spouse doesn’t lose all their retirement paying your medical bills.

        • derf82@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That is just another form of suffering people shouldn’t be forced to live through if they do not want to.

          • JigglySackles@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Some would argue that since the ability to remove the suffering is possible, that we should do that instead of being happy a dystopian solution like assisted suicide be praised as an acceptable option. Suicide is already an option. Having it be assisted just gives them another way to milk one last drop of blood from a stone.

            • derf82@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              I don’t agree the ability to remove suffering exists on this world. Even free healthcare and universal basic income won’t do that.

              The world is already a dystopia. Forcing people to continue to suffer is the most dystopian to me. Not everyone can easily and especially painlessly end their own life.

              • JigglySackles@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Removing entirety might be impossible, but it can certainly be lessened by large degrees.

                I’m not advocating against assisted suicide, people should be able to die peacefully and painlessly when they choose. I am saying that it shouldn’t be the solution to a broken system. Fix the systems so people don’t feel the need to off themselves just to get away from it.

                • derf82@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  We’re never going to fix the system. And even if we could, I don’t think people should have to suffer waiting. That is the problem with saying “well, we need to fix x, y, and z first.” The people suffering have no control over x, y, and z.

  • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I hope they are able to implement this not just in Michigan but all across the board. I’m not saying suicide is good, but if I were terminally I’ll and unable to afford treatment I’d definitely want to go through medically assisted suicide because that, to me, is a lot more humane and compassionate than squeezing every single penny out of a person or not getting treatment at all and slowly withering away.

    • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I can’t imagine having a terminal painful disease and being told that I just have to wait until the end comes. That sounds inhumane to me. Like severe dementia. I have a former coworker who was her mother’s only caregiver and her mother was in bad shape. Self injurious and violent. I learned the word “autocoprophagia” from her, which means one who eats their own feces. I’d rather commit suicide than put my loved ones through that.