Right-to-die man Tony Nicklinson dead after refusing food

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Not the dignified, pain-free end he wanted and deserved. Just horrible :(

Tony Nicklinson, a man with locked-in syndrome who fought for the right for doctors to legally end his life, has died.
The 58-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005 and described his life as a "living nightmare".
Last week Mr Nicklinson, from Melksham, Wiltshire, lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life.
His family solicitor said that he had refused food from last week.
Saimo Chahal said Mr Nicklinson died at home at about 10:00 BST accompanied by his wife, Jane, and two daughters, Lauren and Beth.
She said: "Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia."
She added: "Jane said that, after Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him.

(More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19341722)

[Rottenfruit]

Not the dignified, pain-free end he wanted and deserved. Just horrible :(

Tony Nicklinson, a man with locked-in syndrome who fought for the right for doctors to legally end his life, has died.
The 58-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005 and described his life as a "living nightmare".
Last week Mr Nicklinson, from Melksham, Wiltshire, lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life.
His family solicitor said that he had refused food from last week.
Saimo Chahal said Mr Nicklinson died at home at about 10:00 BST accompanied by his wife, Jane, and two daughters, Lauren and Beth.
She said: "Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia."
She added: "Jane said that, after Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him.

(More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19341722)
Belive me dying from hunger is not a easy feat IT HURTS ALOT, im a recovering anorxic and i can tell you without a doubt that its easier to not drink water and die from dehydrtation then starving your self to death,

The pain the poor man must have been in to take that way out must have outweighed the pain of dying from starvation , this is so fucking wrong that this poor soul could not have had x amount of phenobarbitutal injected into his veins like is done in Swiss where people do have the right to die when suffering from terminal / horribul uncurable diseases . Its the most humane way of letting people go who desire so in cases like this, Just half an hour the most uncomformt the person feels is minor nausea and dizzyness and then the person falls asleep all less then in an hour.

News like these makes me so angry i start to lose hope in humanity

You know how you die from hunger? When your body has finished all the reserves of fat and muscle tissues, it goes after fat in the liver.
Your body starts to digest its own organs,when the liver fat is finished your body starts to digest your heart muscle if i remember right and thats when you die.

[Aristophenes McTwitch]

The state doesn't care about the suffering of others. The state just wants to maintain you as a machine to be used. You aren't much use if you're dead now are you?

[La Guaneña]

The state doesn't care about the suffering of others. The state just wants to maintain you as a machine to be used. You aren't much use if you're dead now are you?

I don't see this applied in this case. This man was totally paralized and "useless" in the eyes of the state.

[Aristophenes McTwitch]

I don't see this applied in this case. This man was totally paralized and "useless" in the eyes of the state.

That doesn't mean he's useless. By living, he contributes to voter rolls, to tax bases, to the economy (someone is buying his wheelchairs, no?) etc.

The state would turn your dead body to fertilizer if it could, so don't ever think the state has ran out of use for you - it could always just find some new way to utilize you.

[La Guaneña]

That doesn't mean he's useless. By living, he contributes to voter rolls, to tax bases, to the economy (someone is buying his wheelchairs, no?) etc.

The state would turn your dead body to fertilizer if it could, so don't ever think the state has ran out of use for you - it could always just find some new way to utilize you.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I was thinking in a sense of the conservative point of view of the "welfare queen" and "parasite" bullshit.

[Amon]

I am furious with the British courts and justice system. Denying someone their free will is horrendous, I presume they refuse this to people because if they're dead, they can no longer pay taxes or pay for extortionate medical expenses, cruel and heartless.

Having said that, I was actually relieved when I heard the news of his passing, not in the manner of which it occurred, as it's what he wanted. RIP Tony, you have now found the peace that you so deserved to have.

No compassion whatsoever.

[RedHammer]

I might be alone in this, but I don't really support euthanasia.

Still, R.I.P to Tony Nicklinson.

[Yugo45]

I might be alone in this, but I don't really support euthanasia.

Still, R.I.P to Tony Nicklinson.

How come?

[Sasha]

The guy was completely paralysed right? Could only move his eyelids?
So that means he was fed through medical assistance... so its illegal in the u.k. for a doctor to give someone a drug that would kill him pain free, even when he repeatedly and proven in good mental healt asked for it and doctors agreed he was under intolerable suffering but its perfectly legal for that same doctor to not feed that person until he starved because he, again, asked for that.... right... got it...

Also, he officially died of sudden "pneumonia", anyone knowing anything about euthanasia knows that that is in general doctors code for active but illegal euthanasia.. some doctor rightly put his career on the line there..

[RedHammer]

How come?

It's a slippery slope to get into the habit of killing everybody who wants to die.

[Leftsolidarity]

It's a slippery slope to get into the habit of killing everybody who wants to die.

I really hate when people say things are a "slippery slope".

It's really not. Someone who is in that condition should be able to end their lives pain free instead of suffering through something like that.

[#FF0000]

It's a slippery slope to get into the habit of killing everybody who wants to die.

"Slippery Slope" is a fallacy, first of all, and secondly it certainly is not. There is a world of difference between someone who's having a very, very rough time and wants to die and someone who is suffering from locked-in syndrome or a painful terminal condition.

but what is life but a painful terminal condition think about it hmmmmm

[RedHammer]

I still don't think it's a good idea, but you can believe what you will.

[Lynx]

I thought the objection was religious, that only 'God' has the right to take a life and decide when it will end.

[Leftsolidarity]

I thought the objection was religious, that only 'God' has the right to take a life and decide when it will end.

That pretty much where the substantial opposition comes from

[piet11111]

It's a slippery slope to get into the habit of killing everybody who wants to die.

Exactly before you know it we will be killing people that do not want to die.... wait no that actually doesn't follow.


What actually is the problem with assisting those that want to die to do so as humanely as possible ?

[Robocommie]

Exactly before you know it we will be killing people that do not want to die.... wait no that actually doesn't follow.

What actually is the problem with assisting those that want to die to do so as humanely as possible ?

I think there's a legitimate argument to be made that it's not right for doctors and medicine to "give up" and decide there's no point in trying to better a person's condition.

[Sasha]

I think there's a legitimate argument to be made that it's not right for doctors and medicine to "give up" and decide there's no point in trying to better a person's condition.

but a perectly fine argument can be made that in lots of cases "death" is the only/best way to "better a person's condition"

general warning, the restriction pollicy of people who infringe on other peoples bodily self determination rights doesnt end with the subject of abortion.
there are some grey zones here but advocating the criminalisation of euthanasia absolutely is ground for restriction. just so you all know...

[piet11111]

I think there's a legitimate argument to be made that it's not right for doctors and medicine to "give up" and decide there's no point in trying to better a person's condition.

That is actually a good argument but clearly it should be illegal for a doctor to make such a decision for the patient when she/he is still able to make that decision themselves.
But when the patient requests it its an entirely different situation.

[Robocommie]

That is actually a good argument but clearly it should be illegal for a doctor to make such a decision for the patient when she/he is still able to make that decision themselves.
But when the patient requests it its an entirely different situation.

I can accept that. I'm not unsympathetic, I'm just very wary.