[Vision2020] "unpleasant death as a result of disease or illness".

[Tom Hansen]

Arnold -

This topic deals with incurable diseases and illnesses, NOT AGING.

I do not recall "aging" listed anywhere, in ANY source, as a disease or 
illness.

-----------------------------

For example:  Much like the living will my wife and I had prepared shortly 
after my retirement from the Army . . .

>From   at

http://www.lectlaw.com/forms/f115.htm
 
---------------

LIVING WILL

I, __________, of __________, being of sound mind, do hereby willfully and
voluntarily make known my desire that my life not be prolonged under any of
the following conditions, and do hereby further declare:

1.  If I should, at any time, have an incurable condition caused by any
disease or illness, or by any accident or injury, and be determined by any
two or more physicians to be in a terminal condition whereby the use of
"heroic measures"or the application of life-sustaining procedures would
only serve to delay the moment of my death, and where my attending
physician has determined that my death is imminent whether or not such
"heroic measures" or life-sustaining measures are employed, I direct that
such measures and procedures be withheld or withdrawn and that I be
permitted to die naturally. 

2. In the event of my inability to give directions regarding the
application of life-sustaining procedures or the use of "heroic measures",
it is my intention that this directive shall be honored by my family and
physicians as my final expression of my right to refuse medical and
surgical treatment, and my acceptance of the consequences of such refusal.

3. I am mentally, emotionally and legally competent to make this directive
and I fully understand its import. 

4. I reserve the right to revoke this directive at any time. 

5. This directive shall remain in force until revoked.  
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and seal this _____ day of 
__________, 20___.
 
---------------------------------------

You will notice, Arnold, that NOWHERE within the living will does it 
present a statement of condition even remotely similar to "upon reachinig 
the age of ____."

If you, Arnold, consider aging to be a disease, my heart-felt sympathies 
to those you render care.

Tom "who never gets old, just older" Hansen
Moscow, Idaho


> Well, if you feel this way you might as well knock yourself off now
because>  it is inevitable if it isn't happening already. 
>  
> Older age is a part of life. It should be cherished, not frowned upon.
Ther> e are so many elderly in this world that feel terrible about 
themselves
bec> ause people say they would rather be dead than old or in pain. 
>  
> Stop for a moment, and ask yourself how you would feel if you heard 
people
> and society say they would rather be dead, or they would kill themselves,
i> f they had to live the way you do? Your self esteem and sense of value 
and
> purpose would be smashed, as you are doing to others with such a 
negative,
> and might I say false, perspective of later years in life.
>  
> There is purpose and meaning and all life, and at all stages of people's
li> ves. People suffer at all ages of life. Focusing on the age is
discriminati> on. We should be focusing on ending the suffering in the 
life, not end the
> life for the suffering. 
>  
> I just want to smack people that assign the elderly and disabled, the
l> abel of "life not worth living", because you couldn't be more wrong. 
IMHO,
> I would rather end the lives of the selfish and  vein that cause the
> suffering rather than the elderly and disabled. 
>  
> Best Regards,
>  
>
Donovan

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