Comments on: Review: The Last Goodnights by John West

By: Carol Wong

Carol Wong — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:45:18 +0000

I have read another book where a famous author told of helping her mother to die and felt uncomfortable about it. I had a illness once that has such great pain that many who have it commit suicide. I kept telling myself to hang on for another hour and I finally got the right treatment and the pain subsided. Loosing my mind as in Alzheimer’s might be a different story. In that case, I think I would think it would be totally my own responsibily and I could never thrust it on my son.

Carol Wong

By: davenycity

davenycity — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:09:32 +0000

great blog thank you

By: Sharon Young

Sharon Young — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:10:11 +0000

You are right Miss Kallie. If I tell someone to assist my death, then I am committing suicide which in the Catholic faith is a major sin. So although I believe in the concept, I cannot participate in the practice.

By: misskallie2000

misskallie2000 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:15:51 +0000

I do believe in assisted suicide or self suicide if your health is grave without any hope of recoverey. The only problem I have is that the Bible says no to suicide and assisted suicide would be considered murder. This leaves me in a state of quandary as I am sure alot of others find themselves.
This book would be a very emotional read.

By: Colleen Turner

Colleen Turner — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:13:19 +0000

This sounds like a fascinating memoir to me! It is definitely a conversation starter, as the review prompted me to turn directly to my husband and ask him what he thought of the subject. While it would be incredibly hard to read, I think it would still be a very worthwhile book to give a try as I am sure it was not easy for the author to share his experience.

By: RivkaBelle

RivkaBelle — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:12:48 +0000

Oh wow … This is definitely something I would not be able to read. In my (required, ugh) Social Ethics class in college, I struggled through the week-long section on Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide/Etc. … It was coming just over a year after my granddaddy’s sudden death, and whew – not fun. This is an issue that’s always been hard for me to verbalize: what I feel in my heart & soul, and what my mind & reason have to say – some agreement, some disagreement – is such a whirling mess … but it’s definitely a sensitive, heart-wrenching subject.

I applaud the author for being able to write & record the ‘experience’ and presenting a case that most people would never know about. I just cannot read it …

By: Sharon Young

Sharon Young — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:41:32 +0000

It would definitely emotional baggage for the majority of us. There are always individuals who champion the rights of others to the point of being the willing assistant. Personally, I would never want the role no matter how much I believed in the process.

By: Sharon Young

Sharon Young — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:35:31 +0000

After 28 years of working in intensive care units, I can easily support the idea of assisted suicide. In your final moments of life you may find what should be your decision about what to do next being made by a physician who gets paid by the visit or a relative who feels they cannot have your death on their hands.

However, I must strongly disagree with Claudia’s statement (or is it the book author’s?) that “government should not have any rights over our bodies at … any time during our lives”. Such a global encompassing statement cannot embrace the many human conditions that are health related. I am sure the statement’s owner would not support viable late term abortions, offensive face tattoos or the shooting up of heroin. Health care needs to be constantly regulated, as it is in the profit mode, even when it is seemingly not-for-profit, or on the street side.

Admittedly, I have not given assisted suicide much thought. Surprisingly, my own state California (which I consider the most liberal in the nation) does not have legal assisted suicide. We no likely should, but “Thou shalt not kill” is firmly planted in our collective psyche.

Would love to read the book. Thanks for the review and for providing a soapbox platform.
Sharon Young recently posted..The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood- Guest Repost From Author Marti Rullis Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Spendour Blog