Is this reference too obscure?

A hospital in Switzerland says it will allow assisted suicide on its premises for terminally ill patients.

A spokesman for the university hospital in Lausanne said the decision was taken after a long reflection.

He added that the conditions for permitting an assisted suicide remained very strict.

The practice is legal in Switzerland, but only for patients who are mentally competent and suffering from an incurable disease.

Overdue. Of course, Switzerland is one of those independent-minded, mostly conservative nations where personal liberty and self-determination is obviously under attack.



  1. Steve Reno says:

    “Too obscure”? No, it’s painless!

  2. RonD says:

    And brings on many changes!

  3. James says:

    Subtlty: it’s not a matter of “self-determination,” this is ASSISTED suicide about which we are talking. I believe suicide is legal in most places. It’s helping somebody else to die which is the issue at hand.

  4. Tod says:

    Yah!,,, but it only bring on changes…

  5. Mike Voice says:

    I believe suicide is legal in most places.

    LOL

    News to me. US? Saner parts of the world?

    I live in Oregon, with a voter-approved Assisted Suicide law – which our Federal Government has been trying to abolish.

  6. Eideard says:

    Steve — I’m impressed!

  7. Jonathan Preston says:

    I continue to be amazed at our parochial mores here in the US. It seems that we are content to kill people outright (war and executions), but we fight with all our might to keep people from killing themselves. Those who would call this a slippery slope have no grasp of the psychiatric testing hurdles that ill patients in the Oregon case must go through in order to be approved. In fact, under the Oregon law, all the Doc does is write a script.

  8. Jim H says:

    For those of you curious…

    Music by Johnny Mandel, lyrics by Mike Altman

    hrough early morning fog I see
    visions of the things to be
    the pains that are withheld for me
    I realize and I can see…

    [REFRAIN]:

    that suicide is painless
    It brings on many changes
    and I can take or leave it if I please.

    I try to find a way to make
    all our little joys relate
    without that ever-present hate
    but now I know that it’s too late, and…

    [REFRAIN]

    The game of life is hard to play
    I’m gonna lose it anyway
    The losing card I’ll someday lay
    so this is all I have to say.

    [REFRAIN]

    The only way to win is cheat
    And lay it down before I’m beat
    and to another give my seat
    for that’s the only painless feat.

    [REFRAIN]

    The sword of time will pierce our skins
    It doesn’t hurt when it begins
    But as it works its way on in
    The pain grows stronger…watch it grin, but…

    [REFRAIN]

    A brave man once requested me
    to answer questions that are key
    is it to be or not to be
    and I replied ‘oh why ask me?’

    [REFRAIN]

    ‘Cause suicide is painless
    it brings on many changes
    and I can take or leave it if I please.
    …and you can do the same thing if you please.

  9. Tod says:

    Actually, contrary to Mr. Voice’s comment, Attempted Suicide is illegal every where. Try and fail, and the State slaps you even harder.
    It’s SUCCESS that’s legal (Never heard of a State suing the family).

  10. James says:

    Suicide is illegal in the US. Fail and you’re in big trouble with the government.

    #9, success is not legal, it’s just that you’re dead so the government can’t do anything to you (the government doesn’t sue people for money, and they can’t try your family in a criminal case since they didn’t do anything)


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