Beaverstate

A recent case happened here locally. Seems a man and wife were at the end of their financial resources. The woman, who had a tragic history, was taken in by the man (she had been homeless) and they married. They grew deeply in love. She became very ill with no long term hope. They, together wrote out an "exit" note. All people who knew them described them as a loving , devoted couple. As written he shot her fatally, then shot himself. Unfortunately(?) he survived (never use a .22). He is now being charged with murder. The irony is now they have him on a suicide watch. What do you think about euthanasia. I can't but feel for this poor man, neither family blames him. Sorry I do not have the source in front of me. It was from The Oregonian newspaper.

Sally Redux

Did she have no long-term hope from a medical or a financial perspective?

Beaverstate

Going off my memory having read this weeks past. He seemed to be her only means of support. Not only her health was failing but his as well. Seems he was not able to provide the care required and they couldn't bear to be apart. His condition wasn't bad enough for a nursing home yet. Sorry I don't remember all the details. I was just struck by the despair and odd need to prosecute this retired and failing man. Putting him on suicide watch is the ironic part. Musn't let him kill himself, leave that to the court system.

Orangepants

My heart goes out to people in this desperate state. My younger sister is terminally ill and I cannot fathom how she has the will to smile each day and just get on but she has 24hr care and is well looked after in the UK. I personally do not have that strength and am strongly for euthanasia when of sound mind for myself if my declining health was to be a burden (emotional and financial) to those I loved and it was just a struggle to get through each day for myself.

lansbury

There were other options. This is quiet a liberal state when it comes to health care, and other types of social services. It seems, if the Oregonian report was accurate, that they hadn't applied for some of the help which might have been available to them.

Sally Redux

I think that would make a difference to how I felt on the question posed about euthanasia.

scrubbedexpat097

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1433071.html


I think this is the link.


This is so so sad

Sally Redux

Very sad and I would have to agree with this part: "In many respects," Kaplan said, "these murder-suicides are society-assisted suicides: suicides because of society's failures."

Beaverstate

Yes that was the story. Many thanks.

WEBlue

Sometimes people in such difficult situations as these two become so depressed that they can't figure out how to get whatever help may be available. It's obvious from the article that this couple had a lot of pride which may have kept them from asking neighbors or family (Daniel at least had a son, even though Haynes had no family) for advice or help.

This seems the real tragedy, that they may have been too ashamed to reveal to anyone the real trouble they were in--not only their desperate financial trouble, but obviously their emotional states were dire as well. It sounds like it all got to be too much for them . . . so that even trying to find help may have felt impossible.

Leslie

I think that when people enter into these types of agreements that it is an unfair burden for one to have to kill the other. If I knew a terminally ill person wanted to end their life, I may not interfere but I don't think I could do the job for them.

Primula

I agree.

lansbury

Especially in Oregon which has an assisted suicide law, allowing doctors to give you the drugs to do it yourself.

Ethelred_the_Unready

When people become desperate and feel that they have no options left, they sometimes resort to suicide. It's just a shame with murder suicides that other lives have to be taken too. With the current state of the economy, I've noticed an increasing number of similar news stories. When I lived in FL, it seemed to be almost a weekly occurrence.

Sally hit the nail on the head when she cited a quote stating that it's a reflection of society's failure. I agree with this - I think that there's so much emphasis on money and success that if you hit hard times, the shame alone can be enough to push you over the edge, even someone with no prior history of depression or anxiety.

Collectively, we need to address these issues ASAP as it doesn't look like the economy is getting any better. There needs to be more help for people in these situations and society in general needs to stop looking down on the poor & unemployed.