Dear Camilla, you never cease to be the eminently warm and reasonable advisor and
friend.  I do not ever remember disagreeing with any of your utterances which does
not mean I mean not...later.
I am grateful that you are what you are.
Fondly with hugs,
Michel Margosis
'Carpe Diem' (if and when you can)


Camilla Flintermann wrote:

> Dear Janet-- of course you--like anyone--are entitled to your opinion.  May I
> suggest that there are differing ones on this subject?  I think that in SOME
> SITUATIONS, DEPRESSION IS NOT THE MAJOR FACTOR--and I am not speaking of Paige,
> who may well have been a victim of CD--I have no way of knowing that.
>
> The Hemlock Society takes the view that there are times when a perfectly
> rational person who is suffering from an incurable disease and whose quality of
> life is *for them* unacceptable, may make that choice, with the knowledge of
> loved ones.  This, I think, implies that  it is NOT an act of depression and
> desperation, when loving families are involved.   Think of the example of  the
> very frail elderly person, bedridden in  a nursing home, who simply  turns to
> the wall and refuses nourishment---that person is not necessarily depressed, but
> may simply feel that "the time has come to leave".
>
> I respect the fervor of your concern re: CD, based on your personal
> experience and your situation--but please also respect the feelings of
> those who may differ with you, and who may be in a very different situation from
> yours and those you are writing about.  As a counselor, there were times when I
> struggled to keep potentially suicidal clients  from acting out the wish, till
> help could be found for their depression.
> Can't we just agree that like most things in life, this question may have
> more than one answer?