Hacker News Reader

Comment by sneak | Hacker News Reader

You should always be free to destroy yourself absent any medical reason or justification. It is a personal decision and there is no reason anyone should be required to explain or justify it.

We don’t require a medical reason to enhance or build our bodies, we don’t need one to damage or destroy them.

I’m already allowed to eat fried foods 10 times a day and chainsmoke and do it slowly and painfully; if that is legal then anyone should be allowed to do it in a quick, painless, and dignified fashion.

View on HN

The question is: What if the depression she has has a cause that can be curable 100% and she can have a very happy life, would she still want to do it if she knew that?

I am not sure that we "should be free" to end our life as you say. Sure, we did not have any say about coming to life but I think that if you don't have any incurable disease that causes you significant pain, you can always find something that will make life worthwhile. Unless you are born in Northern Korea or some country that restricts your freedom.

This makes sense to some extent (terminal illness or such), but one can argue as someone did above that if you're willing to make the permanent decision to "destroy" yourself, are you sane enough to legally make decision? Are you for sure not under temporary delusion, distress, or other threat? You can always "legally" "destroy" yourself through suicide, but if you want to involve a medical professional it seems very reasonable that you have the mental clarity to make the decision.

Should it be illegal for the doctor to deny me an amputation that I ask for? After all, I should be "free to destroy myself" absent any justification?

> You can always "legally" "destroy" yourself through suicide

Not in a dignified, foolproof way. E.g. can you go to a pharmacy and get a dose of morphine that will kill you with certainty? You can't, in most jurisdictions.

Forcing other people to deal with the trauma of cleaning up your bloody remains after you jump off a window isn't exactly compassionate either.

Give people a clean way out, even if you don't want it for yourself.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com