There are those who feel that life is invaluable and no price can be placed on it. I agree. There is no price that can be placed on a life, but there is also no value in a life that one no longer wishes to live.

The value of a life is not something that someone else places on it, but is that which the one who is living it applies to it. If that value has slipped below whatever threshold is accptable for a person, then claiming that life is precious is less than meaningless for them. Their life is not precious. It may in fact be unbearable and they may well have reached a point where they would gladly give anything to be rid of it.

A story, from Australia, points this out. The intent is to condemn the American model of corporate insurance. And with this I agree. Unfortunately, it happens to be a valid model.

People are getting older. The mechanisms of keeping them alive longer, even indefinately, are at hand. Someone will have to start making the decisions about who lives and who dies. If those decisions are not made in advance, then it will be up to the doctors, lawyers, and insurance companies to decide whose life still has value.

Start thinking now about your death. It will happen. Do not burden your loved one's with the onerous decisions that you should have made in advance. make sure your wishes are well known, understood, and documented. Find a sympathetic soul, or organization, that is willing to assist you in carrying out those wishes.

Here is a Euthanasia Blog

A Euthanasia Clinic would provide a place where a Compassionate Law could be implemented

See the Euthanasia website for more information and details

Euthanasia - The fiscal perspective

Here is an interesting link describing Dr Philip Nitschke book, 'Killing Me Softly', and the perceived philosophy of it's authors.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4068

Euthanasia itself has been and remains a taboo subject for many people. To have that forbidden subject raised in the same breath with money, family planning, and fiscal policy may be a bit more than most people can take. None-the-less, death comes to us all and to try and ignore it in the hopes that it will just go away is senseless. Better to face the reality of life and plan for it's ultimate end.

A discussion of Euthanasia, self deliverance, and end of life choices is a more rational approach than to live a life full of fear of dying. With knowledge comes power. While we can not defeat death we can defeat the fear of death and dying with informed discussion and rational planning for the inevitable day that we will all face.

For an alternative to end of life choices see this web site

EuthanasiaClinic.com

It offers an approach that could be implemented now, without the concern of physician assistance or religious interference. But, it does require political will and that is something that seems to be sorely lacking in the world today.