Does someone have the right to commit suicide if they want to?
It is NOT selfish.
Most people who feel that a person does not have the right to kill him/herself think so because of the pain and suffering their death might cause to the people who care about them. In my opinion it is they who are the selfish ones, for two reasons: 1. They might have been able to give more support during the persons crisis, and 2. The one who committed the suicide did so because he or she felt their life was not worth living any longer and had extreme unhappiness. Anyone who can't deal with losing someone because of the pain they might feel and not look at the pain the person who killed him/herself felt doesn't understand what they're saying.
There is one setting in which I find it is selfish and that is when they have kids who won't have anyone to take care of them.Posted by: AnonymousI agree that someone has the right to commit suicide if they want to; we are all free individuals with free will, and we should be allowed to be master of our own bodies as long as we do not hurt anyone else but ourselves.
There are many reasons why people might chose to end their own life, and if we truly believe as a society that we are free people with free reign over ourselves and our actions, and that we should be free to do as we please as long as we harm none but ourselves, then we have no moral right to force another human to keep from taking his life.
There are legitimate reasons why a person might wish to do so, primary of which is self-euthanasia in cases of terminal illness, especially with extreme and debilitating pain. These people may wish to die with dignity, having been the master of their own fate, instead of having to suffer the indignity of being hooked up to tubes and wires, confined to a bed, in a haze of morphine. Life is precious, but is not the quality of life just as important, if not more so, than the quantity of life? In the end, if a person is of sound mind, and mentally competent to make such a choice, then we have no moral or ethical ground to stand upon to force them to continue living if they so wish not to.Posted by: MagicalRodrigo30It's your own choice
For many people, their circumstances aren't too unbearable for them to continue living as they do. Why should they be doomed to a life of misery and of inequality if they see death as being less pain for them? Allow people to have their own say in their own lives; if death is less painful than life then how could you possibly argue against them going for the least painful option.
Posted by: AnonymousThe right and act of free will
No one willfully understand the reason for someone to commit suicide. It's the act of free will and people shouldn't be judged based on that. Everyone's life is different, and people experience things differently. If a person is at the last resort and want to kill themselves because they are in that much pain or that sad, they should have the right to end their suffering. Even if a person thinks its "Selfish" to commit suicide because the person is only thinking about themselves, if their at that moment when they want to end everything, you know what, take some time for yourself
Posted by: aww.dayyWhen people reach adulthood, they should not be forced to live if they no longer want to.
There is no reason for people who have lost all desire to live to be forced to continue living. There are many reasons someone may wish that this life was over, and the decision as to whether they should continue on with the hope that things will get better or simply end things should be an entirely personal one.
Posted by: TownNoamA person has the right to commit suicide, because they are the sole owner of their life.
Suicide is a totally personal and private matter. It is universally accepted that a person is sole owner of their own life. They belong to no other human. If they decide they no longer wish to live on Earth as they do, it is within their prerogative to terminate it. The only attachment to add to this is that when they decide to no longer live, the method they choose should cause no physical harm to another human.
Posted by: FLindsayYes, but I think our society should do everything it can to discourage & prevent suicide.
The problem is Americans refuse to recognize social problems and work to reduce them. Pharma has us convinced suicidal people suffer from "depression." Fact is, they suffer from real & serious problems in their lives. If we Americans started helping each other again, forming communities & supporting our neighbors, fewer people would feel isolated & suicidal.We need to improve quality of life for people so they're less likely to commit suicide.
Posted by: AnonymousThe rights of the individual
Forcing someone to stay alive purely for the happiness of others is denying the rights of the individual to self-determination. Life is brutal and cruel. To pretend otherwise is to deny reality. If love is the automatic victor, then rational discourse is denied, and progress will never be made.
Posted by: AnonymousAnyone who’s life is poor should not have to continue on.
If some one wants to die if there life is poor should be allowed to die. I will ask this if you were diagnosed with cancer do you want to die a slow and painful death or a short and painless death? If you are in pain do you want to live in agony or do you want the pain to stop? Yes you may have a family, but ask yourself do you want them to remember you as you were before your illness or after? If you don't have answer then there is something wrong and you should stop criticizing people and let them do what they want if i am not mistaken we live in a free country.
Posted by: starwarsOf course they Have a Right!
There are so many laws regarding a person's personal choices, but the one thing that I refuse to let anyone take away from me is the decision to live or die. It's a choice, a right, and it has nothing to do with those who don't understand why I would choose that. A person needs to want to stay alive, otherwise what good is living?
Posted by: Anonymousi completely agree with the idea that everyone has their own right to do what they wish.
its permissible to do everything as longs as it doesn't hart anyone else. So government has given us the option to live the way we like , and manage every field of our life as our will . According to this , we are allowed to do anything with our life , body ... it's up to us to determine whether we want to be deceased or to stay alive... its our choice, that must be honored . the government shouldn't interfere in it.
Posted by: AnonymousIt's my life.
You are going to die anyways. You have the right to expedite the date of your life expiration. If you are neither demented, nor depressed and you still think that there is no meaning in life and you have no dependents or you are suffering, then you have the right.
Posted by: AnonymousSelf Ownership
By the mere act of engaging in debate, I am exercising my right of self-ownership via my physical body as well as my cognitive functioning. Through debating, my opponent and I both implicitly recognize our individual right to exclusively control our individual bodies. Consequently, we understand that the anti-coercion principle is surmised as well. Therefore, communication with individuals necessarily presumes self ownership and anti-coercion. Deviating from argumentation and self ownership to the extent of bringing the violent monopoly of the government to prohibit an expression of self ownership violates both of the principles previously established; it is therefore, immoral and illogical. Robert LeFevre writes, "Each person owns himself and all of his functions, including those of sex, digestion, cognition, and so on. Among the greatest satisfactions available to human beings are those which recognize other persons as equals in the property ownership of self. Although a man may wish an exclusive association with a particular friend, and while it may be possible to contract for such an exclusive relationship, the fact remains that each party to any association always remains the owner of himself." Since we have self-ownership, we have the exclusive right to do whatever we want with out bodies, including suicide. Bang, bang.
Posted by: WallstreetatheistIf I have to right over anything, it is whether I choose to exist or not.
That it may have devastating consequences on other people is a lesser negative than imposing on someones right to exist or not. That's just too bad. It does not negate the notion of determinism. That statement is not sensical. Also, that a person deviates from the norm mentally does not necessarily mean that person is wrong, or unfit to make decisions about their own life. There are no consequences for them in deciding to die, they will be dead. And the other consequences for the people around them, again, that is too bad. The right to exist or not is more important.
Posted by: AnonymousI believe someone has the right to commit suicide because it's their body, and the government decided we have a right to do what we want with our own bodies.
The government gives us the right to have an abortion, which is terminating a fetus, and this right is given because of our right to own our bodies. Suicide is also ending the life of a body we own, so it should be no different as long as we don't kill anyone else.
Posted by: darcyskaEvery sentient being has the right to control their own existence
I'm seeing a common argument on the other side that committing suicide hurts the people around you and therefore no one should have that right since no one has the right to hurt someone else. I pose this question to that argument; does a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend have the right to leave their partner? What if this action would hurt the person being left? Does the son of a preacher/atheist have the right to choose a different spiritual path than their parents? What if this decision hurts their parents emotionally.
The fact of the matter in my opinion is that everyone has the right to be in charge of their own life. Some times someone is terminally ill and wants to control their own death. Sometimes an elderly couple want to die together before they become ill. Sometimes a person is so depressed and hurting so bad that they can't stand to continue. In all of these cases I feel that this is their right.
There are 2 borderline-ish issues (in my mind). These are for a child under 18, and for a parent, who has a child under 18.
I'd like to end by stating that I have a very close relationship to this topic because both my uncle and my best friend committed suicide. Thank you for reading my opinions.Posted by: AnonymousOf course, people have the right to end their lives, because it's a matter of free will.
If we are talking random acts of suicide, then I would hope they wouldn't do it anyway. But, in all honesty, they do have that right. I think assisted suicide for extreme cases of physical suffering, with no hopes of recovery, should be allowed also. Medically speaking, if someone is going to die a long painful death from disease, then why shouldn't we allow them to choose to die peacefully? America euthanizes pets everyday for less justifiable reasons. Suicide is not something we can control. We can provide help but, ultimately, people have free will, and are going to do what they want.
Posted by: 5h4bbyHaIeyFree Will - That's it.
While it is not a popular idea, suicide is the ultimate expression of Free Will - "the conduct of human beings that expresses personal choice and is not simply determined by physical or divine forces". If that happens to be in the form of death or a shortening of their life, then so be it.
True - it may not be fair, but then life is not really FAIR.
True - it may seem selfish, but that is rather the point of individual decision making. People do make bad choices, and others often pay the price.Posted by: AnonymousYes, because I believe a person's life is ultimately their own to do with as they please.
My life, your life, and their lives are all different. Life itself is an experience that can be wonderful, mundane, or hellish, depending on circumstances and one's own perceptions of it. However, trying to determine if someone else's life is worth living is futile, and a bit grandiose. When contemplating suicide, one should consider family, friends, and its overall effect on the environment. But when things like pain and disabilities become overwhelming, it should be a personal choice, and not up to the state and the law.
Posted by: BoorishJeromy57Circumstances beyond control
Having lived in foster homes all my childhood and adult poverty due to major medical problems/lack of family support issues (emotional or financial - my father lived a pretty good life after getting out of prison - paid off his house, car, etc., while I struggled through two life-threatening lung surgeries, bankruptcy, etc.), I can say that some lives should never have been. To hold someone to an earthbound existence where they are constantly reminded that they matter to no one is merely an exercise. A counselor once told me that suicide is not necessarily insanity. It is like people who think women should have babies at any cost (which society did to my mother with me - and she was not here to raise me). Does life amount to only the intake of oxygen? There is nothing worse than life itself that any religious nut can hold over me. I pray every day for a fatal disease to take the decision out of my hands.
Posted by: AnonymousAnyone who desires that their life should be taken away, has the complete right to commit suicide because every individual has their own morals and codes they follow.
Every person in the world has a combination of problems, ranging from family to financial downturns. Now, every person has their own individual way of handling certain events that may occur in their life, and because of this, they are allowed to do whatever they please. Committing suicide is not against the law as it is up to the individual to decide whether their life is worth living or not. Some people cannot handle the way their problems are in a time of their life, and so decide the only way to end their misery to kill themselves, and they have the power to do so.
Posted by: N34rIyGaIvAnyone can potentially do anything they want. Does that give them the right to?
I believe that if someone does not want to live that much then I think they have the right to end their life. I think people should of course try to discourage them and help them but in the end, it is their choice. You cant stop someone from killing themselves, they will always find a way. I mean I guess you could sedate them or lock them away so they can't harm themselves but is that really living? Do you have the right to stop them from killing themselves?
Posted by: AnonymousI think every human being has a right to do as they feel, and this includes killing themselves.
Almost every day, people commit suicide to relieve themselves of the pain and struggles of life. After they are gone, you can't arrest them or punish them, because what's done is done. The soon-to-be-deceased have rights, just as any other person does, and everyone in the world should honor that.
Posted by: TerribleTheodoreRight to life, right to death.
We fight so hard for the right to life in America, why should the right to death be excluded from that? That's just as much of a human right as anything else. Trying to take away that right from someone else, is a human rights violation in my opinion. Biblical/ theological standpoints are just irrelevant, sorry. Not everyone observes YOUR religion, does that make them wrong?
Posted by: AnonymousYes, they do.
While it does have ramifications, it is a personal choice, whereby the person in question is alone affected by the decision. Therefore, that person should be allowed to make that decision, terrible as it is.
Posted by: EvanKEnd of horrific suffering
People who don't think that someone has the right to commit suicide has never had to live with constant moderate to severe chronic pain. That kind of pain ruins a persons life. There is no sense in living a life which consists entirely of overwhelming suffering. In many cases doctors have been come resistant to prescribe opioids due to the governent scaring them into not doing it yet its recommended by pain manyty management specialists and people have a right to choose their doctors and which treatment they undergo. They can be prevented from misusing meds by having a visiting nurse manage the meds. Doctors who don't live with chronic pain can't fathom what its like and some are just plain selfish. The side effects are often less of an evil that the pain. I know from personal experience.
Posted by: pmbPeople should have complete control of their lives, even if it means they choose to end it prematurely.
If a person desires to end their life, they should have a right to do it. Outsiders do not know the pain and suffering that they may be experiencing, and are not responsible for that person's well-being. It is the same as if someone decided to waste their life doing drugs. It is their prerogative.
Posted by: HospitableEdgar46Yes, it's my life and I can decide whether I want to end it or not.
If abortion is allowed, then suicide should be allowed too. If a mother can choose to end an unborn child's life, she can choose to end her own too. Also in the long run, having people commit suicide might help with our ever increasing population. 10 billion humans in 2050 will be a disaster.
Posted by: Anonymous
Only In Some Cases
If the person is terminally ill let them go. Otherwise even if the person isn't crazy they are being selfish by leaving behind their friends and family. However, there are cases where suicide may selflessly serve the greater cause of humanity by bringing attention to injustice. For example, the buddhist monks and anti-war activists who famously set themselves on fire during the Vietnamese War. But a person should not rush into such a decision lightly.
Posted by: MasturDbtorNot at all!
To support the idea that people have a right to suicide completely undermines or negates the entire notion of determinism, well-being and health of those others around you.
Think of the most important person in your life, their suicide will inevitably have negative consequences upon you and others. To say that people have the right to suicide is almost synonymous with saying that people have the right to harm others via self-harm. Does it make sense to suggest that somebody has the right to induce depression (severe) into another person? I'm asking this, does it make sense to offer people the right to harm others?
It's worth noting that I am talking of cases whereby people have the choice to commit suicide. A person with severe depression doesn't have a choice, they aren't completely responsible for their actions.Posted by: jedipengiunDoes someone have the right to not be born if they do not want to?
I think not. "Life" itself is something we cannot control. If we do not have the right to choose not to be born, then that means we do not have the right to choose not to live. Continuing from this, it would mean that we do not have the right to commit suicide. Using this logical syllogism, we have proved that one does not have the right to commit suicide.
Posted by: xxxIt is wrong
This goes out to all of you who are thinking of committing suicide. Life is hard no matter what class you are in yet there will always be someone out there who will "wish to be you". I don't care if anyone here thinks a person has a right to kill him/her self, it doesn't make it right. It's like saying yes to a person who is asking if he has the right to do drugs. You have no right to seriously hurt the people who love you and there are millions out there who are going through harder suffering than you and they fought their way up.
Posted by: ciscInsane!!
Those who choose to commit suicide are normally in most cases can be helped by therapy and are clearly not in the right state of mind to take their own life. There are some circumstances that could be justified, but if your spouse left you and you are to afraid to deal with reality you just need to calm down and take therapy because that situation can be fixed
Posted by: Fedfan450NO NO NO
No. We don't have rights to commit suicide. We should live for our parents. Our mother birthed us with world's highest pain. We should think about that. We should not make her unhappy by ending our life. Please do not take the decision like that. Before commit suicide just think who does not have problems ?
Posted by: AnonymousI currently feel like suicide is not an option, because we are not at liberty to kill, whether it be ourselves or someone else.
God created us and gave us life. When it's our time to leave this earth, it will be done at God's will, not ours. I feel like it's pretty clear in the 10 Commandments in the Bible. The Commandment that says, "thou shalt not kill", plainly states not to kill. Suicide is killing, because it's taking one's own life. There can't be a problem in this world that is bad enough that someone can't work through that, instead of killing themselves.
Posted by: DefeatedAnton67It is not just YOUR life nor is it just A life
It is something so precious because it is a part of the whole human race... It's your duty to stay alive & work hard on making it a better life for yourself & others... Don't just give up & lose... If you stay alive tomorrow WILL be a better day. That's a rule in life... Just wait & see... Be a winner, not a loser.
Posted by: AnonymousA flat-out, NO.
There are, and will ALWAYS be other ways out of a problem or situation other than ending a life... Sometimes it's just the person not wanting TO. Sometimes they just have to open up, the world will never run short of people who are willing to give their time and effort to comfort somebody. Yes, the world may be a harsh place, but there are also a lot of people willing to be salt and light. You just have to look in the right places.
Posted by: AnonymousYou are God's Vessel.
The body you have is given by God. You are merely a vessel. An instrument to carry out God's plan. Sure you have a soul, but this body isn't yours. It was given to you, so you have no right to end it your way. Sure you can say that you own your life. But always remember; you weren't the one who brought yourself to this world. So you have no right to drift away from it. Ending it will only cause your family depression, and in some cases financial problems. I'm sorry to have not seen this sooner. There will always be another way to end your suffering. SUICIDE IS A PERMANENT ANSWER TO A TEMPORARY PROBLEM... TO THOSE SAID YES TO THIS QUESTION... I hope you realize what you have just done. The person who asked this question is now dead, and he is all over the news! The link to this question is given by the news article.
Posted by: AnonymousLife is cheap.
See a therapist instead.
Posted by: MouthWash