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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?