What this really is, is an attempt at sanity to rein in the "everything I do has no consequences" crowd. It's really that tough to understand what a helium hood would be used for?

It is completely rediculous that the government feels it is their responsibility to press charges on someone that wants to die. Irony is that many of these people wanting to kill themselves is because of those same politicians that don't give a dam when making their "votes".

I agree with a terminally ill or horribly suffering adult's right to end their life, if they choose. However, these "suicide kits" make it too easy for a confused teenager, or a depressed person, to just order something on-line that can end their lives. We already lose too many teenagers to suicide, do we really need something sold that makes it any easier?

Yes, these items are sold separately in stores, but how many people will go out, sew the hood, insert the line, etc.? Pre-assembled kits are a mercy to the terminally ill, infirm and those too frail or afraid of more pain to kill themselves in other ways. However, sending something like this through the mail to a depressed teenager or depressed but otherwise healthy adult is wrong; these people don't have the right state of mind to make such a permanent decision. This law would protect them.

They should at the very least run some kind of background check. I honestly don't know how this woman could sleep at night, knowing that a 29 year old used one of her kits to kill himself. If it had been a little harder to do the deed, maybe he wouldn't have gone through with it?

Razors pain you; Rivers are damp; Acids stain you; And drugs cause cramp.Guns aren't lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live. - Dorothy Parker

Come along! Join us as everyone puts on a colorful tutu and dances to this rich pageantry of life!

if you are dead i guess it doesnt matter! respectfully submitted!

i had a great reply but i guess i took too long writing it . it was erased-time up! no pun intended. however it probably would be a felony for those who assisted.

Then go jump off a bridge and no one will be prosecuted for assissting you. Why must you depend on others to help you kill yourself and then protest that only you are responsible? That argument didn't work well for Dr. Kavorkian.

making a suggesttion that someone "go jump off a bridge" could be considered an assistanced by word of mouth, sent be e-mail, and posted, gee, lets see now, thats at least two felony's for starte's, aye !? maybe they could try wormacide, aye!?

It's NOT a felony. If you fail at suicide on your own, you're pretty much a loser all the way around aren't ya?

I think it is pretty grim when someone is explicitly in the business of helping people die. But then I think seat belt laws are unconstitutional as well so whatever.

Ugh then there'll be 'forum bully' articles all over the news :P

You overlook the obvious. If you commit a felony, in your home, your property becomes a crime scene and is able to be confiscated as such. Would you have set in the front yard and killed yourself? No! The house protection becomes part of the crime. Just like selling drugs out the front door. Of course you could start the car up in the garage open the inside door and take a permanent nap, without the need for a hood. Accident and no problem. But then, in some neighborhoods, you'd risk someone stealing the gas out of the car before the job was finished. Nothing is a sure thing in life even death. No one fears death. It is the act of dying we fear. I'll be one to admit saying on several occasions, "God I just can't take anymore of this. Get me out of here", taking no other action, but leaving it up to him, the next morning I was still here but with a new outlook. I saw how, what had me giving up, was in fact, a stepping stone in life and I was stronger and a better person for understanding that.

You've been dead?

Maybe he was just "mostly dead".

'E's not dead, 'e's pining for the fjords!

No, he's not. He'll be stone dead in a moment.

sir i totally agree with you. you seem to be a wise man. i am a wise woman and agree some people should end it if possible. for those that have no support of any kind-i pray for them everyday, they dont really have any options and would even be unable to order the " kit"...very sad. i also feel that some people will try to take the easy way out and miss out on life-see the doc, try to lift ones self up-dont call it quits too soon. i dont know.....

Just because depression is (sometimes) a "treatable" condition doesn't mean it IS treated. I have suffered from it most of my life and while I have no inclination to kill myself, I have had many, many moments when it seemed like the right thing to do and may experience those feelings yet again in the future. Physical and psychic pain that never really goes away is not the easiest nor most gratifying way to live your life. Walk that mile before you decide on behalf of somebody else.

There's no good reason to have to live with depression, unless you're too depressed to think you're worth the trouble of treating it. Treatment is covered by most medical insurance. If you don't have medical insurance, there are programs you can look into.

I was depressed for a while when my career fell apart. It's no way to live. Get help. Life is too short to not enjoy it.

A person diagnosed depression will live with depression for the rest of their life. A person who has been treated for depression once simply knows the tools to deal with depression.

With humble understanding mixed with a touch of humility, I find all of the arguements against suicide and assisted suicide to be quite morose. Until you have personally walked in the shoes, mocassins, or slippers of the person who is standing on the brink of a precipice with no other dignified way out - You should keep your opinion to yourself!

Those of you (and there are fewer than you may think) who condemn the thought of suicide are fortunate enough to have never really been on the edge of a bleak, dark abyss and stood face to face with the grim reaper, terminal illness, and the stark naked truth that the end is indeed at hand. For you, it's only what you can personally IMAGINE, for you have no concept what-so-ever as to what that experience of absolute and total emptiness feels like. It is horrific. My heart and soul goes out to anyone who is faced with that kind of decision. I understand their reasoning all too well. Many of them did not reach that decision in a moment of whimsical thought. One can wish, hope and dream all they like, nothing is going to change the final outcome. They have weighed all their options and the end result always comes out the same - Things are NOT going to get better... Only worse.

you are so right judy. just please i hope people dont end their lives prematurely when there is hope for a better sort of life on earth. there is not always hope-and i get that. however for many there is hope that they cannot see at this moment and then lose out on so much-and hurt profoundly all who love them. i feel some who chose suicide are actually trying to "punish" those they leave behind. very misguided thinking. loved ones should try and recognize the symptoms beforehand and intervene.

We're talking about suicide here, not end of life care. If you're an adult, you can refuse extraordinary measures to keep you alive, and you can do that while you are still physically able to make those wishes known.

I'm sorry for your loss of your friends, but would anything have changed if they had chosen a different method of suicide? Just because they didn't find a better solution before they gave up, doesn't mean there was none. In any case, it was their choice and they took it sounds like, without involving others in their immediate deaths. That's what this article is about--

with the current state of healthcare, how many do you think are really getting appropriate help?

How is finding your brother locked in his room with a bag over his head "death with dignity" and an illustration of "compassion"? I daresay those left behind don't view this the same way--especially when someone has made that decision so easy profiting from selling a death kit.

What are you ranting about? This is about profiteering off of suicide and making suicide easier.

"Stay out of my life." "I don't tell you what you can and cannot do."

Isn't that telling us what to do?

No. That's a personal boundary. Nevertheless, laws override personal boundaries.

Oh, please. Did you read the article? These "kits" are made of everyday hardware store items. What do you propose? Background checks for buyers of plastic tubing?

Because as a society, we either see life as something valuable, or we do not. If someone commits suicide, then they do. But you really don't understand the argument about why a society wouldn't want to encourage suicide? Really? No one and nothing is going to prevent suicide. That's a different question entirely than whether we encourage it, promote it and profit from it.

Last time I checked, AP, I didn't see any billboards from these guys telling me to kill myself. So, no, I'm pretty sure they aren't encouraging suicide. Honestly, if someone is dumb enough to spend $60 on a rubber hose and a plastic bag, then they're probably pretty serious. Either that, or they didn't know they were being ripped off. But what can you expect? I'm sure their aren't many testimonials to this product XD...

Guess then a law that approves assisted suicide is a REAL strong "go ahead it's accepted to do" message.

Yes I'd say so. I hope your not so ignorant that you don't know assisted suicide has been going on for decades. It hasn't taken a law to make it happen. That's why many states just need a Dr. to say death was attended for a autopsy to not be performed, when the patient was terminal. People that die in hospice centers would often test for high morphine levels as and example. That is totally different to me than the recluse who is suffering severe depression and starts thinking suicide and gets to a point it takes little to tip them over the edge, where a visit or show of concern would have broke the trance they were in. Proper medication would control it. Antidepressants are some of the most prescribed drugs. We have, as a society,put a huge stigma on this that scares people from seeking help, when they start getting these thoughts. We are to blame also, to a degree for these deaths, as such. Most suicides come from a buildup of events that, if looked on from others, would be meaningless. Young folks, that have not had life experiences to make them understand, that the events they fear worse today, are the ones you laugh about later, often end there life so needlessly. A good friend or parent, seeing them down, and asking why, would have stopped most all of them.

That particular law is especially for those who have a terminal illness with a short/painful life expectancy. It is not for those who are otherwise healthy of body but feel they need to end their life.

But in terms of those with terminal illness and their method of choice for suicide, I get your point. From what I understand, it's more a legal concern for the treating physician/facilities who may face repercussions from an angry family. The sick patient has to have both a family member and physician sign off on their assisted suicide.

And to me, that's a problem. If you grant someone a "right to die" then it shouldn't be centered on the possibility a physician might be sued.

No one who commits suicide is in their right mind...well, except for those who do so to avoid punishment, like Hitler. The thing is, once that person has done the deed their pain is over, it's true.

Those left behind will always question and blame themselves for not stopping their loved one or helping them while they were alive. That regret, sorrow and guilt will last a lifetime.

A friend of my son had his mother commit suicide. When they were only 11 years old this boy came home to find his mother hanging in the basement. Heroic measures failed to revive her. She had 4 children, one only 3 years old. No one knows what led to her suicide other than an incompetent psychiatrist who mishandled her medications. Four children without a mother. It was a tragedy in our village and little we could do to comfort them. All the children were angry with her for leaving her family.

All of those children will be unhappy all their lives. They all needed their mum until they were out of college and ready to be adults. One doesn't diminish the suffering of the mother, but the suffering of these children is very real and goes on until their death. That's how long they'll be motherless.

Let's remember there will always be a need for compassion in these cases, JJMurray. All sides deserve our kindness and our sympathy. It's called 'the ultimate selfish act' for a reason. It is selfish, but the person sees no other way out and feels this will stop their pain whereas nothing else will do so...sometimes they think it will also make everyone else happy as well, but that's a product of the mental disorder that led them to believe suicide is the only answer.

Peridot, I respectfully disagree. There are many people who make the suicide decision for reasons you may not understand, and be perfectly sane: my first boyfriend's dad was a respected scientist and probably the most intelligent, balanced person I have ever known in my life. In his 70's, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His wife had passed away the year before and the kids had all left the area. He killed himself with a helium hood because he was terrified of losing his mind. And why shouldn't he? What does his future hold? years in a nursing home and then he dies without dignity? This man was absolutely in his right mind and moreover, his three sons were able to understand his decision. You can't generalize the way you have about suicidal people not being in their right mind. Sometimes hope really is lost. As far as killing yourself to avoid punishment, well, isn't a situation where someone fears what they face ahead in life....whether it's "punishment", old age, cancer effects, loneliness and depression, constant pain, or just about any bad thing you can think of....isn't that punishment for the person as well?

Laws against committing suicide vary from state to state.

At her age . . . . How much time do you think they'll slap on her!???

I bet they just use her to make a point.

In which state are you claiming the death penalty for attempted suicide? Attempted suicide is not a Federal crime, Stuart. The punishment isn't death, either.

If you're an attorney you should go back to law school.

The paradox of our justice system:

Anyone who claims death to be a "penalty" was never given life as a sentence. (You can quote me on that one.)

Also, "terminal" illness by its very nature is an illness for which there is no cure. And quite obviously, mental illness falls under this category, albeit not officially. It is a physical ailment that affects the brain, just as heart disease, kidney failure, and lung cancer do to their respective organs. The problem with our medical industry (not "healthcare" by any regard) is that it doesn't see it as being a physical ailment because there aren't always outwardly visible symptoms like we associate with cancer, AIDS, or other terminal sicknesses. Really, is it better that individuals with mental illnesses are kept on artificial "life support" with Prozac and Zoloft or some other derivative of Dr. Orwell's OTC Soma?

Sure, and 2+2=5. In other words, does not compute.

If I were an attorney I'd cite the most famous example(s) prohibiting governmental interference in the private lives of individuals: Roe v. Wade and the related Griswold v. Connecticut, which of course the religious right-wing likes to say have also created a litany of "murders" in the U.S. Kevorkian, Humphry, and Ms. Hydorn aren't doing anything but providing a healthcare service to people in need, like women seek abortion providers to end unwanted pregnancies. Obviously you can't abort a fetus yourself unless you take the abortion pill RU-486, which has also come under scrutiny for its "quick and easy" solution to what would most likely be a "terminal" problem for which there obviously is no cure -- the birth, and therefore life, of an unwanted child whose existence would be rife with misery (and who might even end up committing suicide him/herself).

I approach this concept with a laissez-faire attitude; to paraphrase Voltaire (and rather ironically, I might add), "Whether I agree or disagree with the life you're living, I will fight to the death for your right not to live it."

Give me liberty. Give me death. Hey, you, get off of my dark cloud.

Julia,

Your posting is one of the most beautiful, eloquently written bit of truth I have ever read. May I quote you on my Facebook page? I am happy to give you credit.

Thanks for some INTELLIGENT reading.

Go thump your bible at your church. Religion and GOD are nothing but a fantasy for those who are afraid of what lies ahead, after death. Dont be afraid and stop trying to tell others that they should live their lives by your book of fantasies. That is your choice, not for you to impose upon or judge others.

No it isn't our choice. It's against the law to commit suicide. That's mans law as well as Gods. If you break it, I'm sure you will also be granted a speedy trial in both cases.

Choose to believe whatever you wish, I can respect that. Why can't you respect the belief of others?