Ugh, what a depressing document! (mission, suicide, euthanasia)

[Druidus]

I just saw a document intended to help people kill themselves!

God, it makes me so depressed to see this.

AGGHHHH!!!!

It was at:
http://www.textfiles.com/fun/suicide.txt

Should I send an e-mail asking them to remove this document from their website? It is clearly only there to assist those attempting suicide.

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Final Exit, by Derek Humphry, 1991, Published by the Hemolck Society is another manual and concentrates on individual suicide. The link referenced in the OP included physician assisted means of dying in accordance with informed consent and the patient's expressed opinion.

Why?

From the San Francisco Bay Area Hemolock Society
No matter how delicate we may express it, the immutable fact of life is that we are all human beings and must die sooner or later. This is why we at Hemlock must constantly refine the use and application of the English language when we discuss death. Often, it's not what you say but how you phrase it.

For example, in public opinion polls when the question was asked, "Do you favor physician-assisted suicide ?", 54 percent of the respondents said yes. But when the question was rephrased, "If a patient had only six months to live and requested a hastened death, would you be in favor of physician aid in dying?", the number in favor rose to 74 percent !

Clearly, history is on the side of the right to die with dignity movement and the rapid rise in membership, nationally and internationally supports this paradigm shift in public opinion. Belgium and Switzerland are following the example of the Netherlands on legalizing euthanasia. After the next election in Hawaii, it should become the second state in the U.S. to legalize physician-aid in dying to terminally ill, mentally competent patients who request it. I expect that in the 2006 gubernatorial race in California, the voters in our state will be revisiting the issues of palliative care and death with dignity.

The mission statement for the Hemlock society can be found here

-pah-