MikeT

Do you have any links about the laws that directly reference it as being illegal? I found one above that says it's only illegal in a six states--as of 1963--which is a little outdated for present-day discussions.

Thanks.
MikeT

MikeT

Found some more updated information:

"By the early 1990s only two US states still listed suicide as a crime, and these have since removed that classification. In some U.S. states, suicide is still considered an unwritten "common law crime," that is, a crime based on the law of old England as stated in Blackstone's Commentaries. (So held the Virginia Supreme Court in Wackwitz v. Roy in 1992.) As a common law crime, suicide can bar recovery for the family of the suicidal person in a lawsuit unless the suicidal person can be proven to have been "of unsound mind." That is, the suicide must be proven to have been an involuntary, not voluntary, act of the victim in order for the family to be awarded money damages by the court. This can occur when the family of the deceased sues the caregiver (perhaps a jail or hospital) for negligence in failing to provide appropriate care.[3]
Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_views_of_suicide

I think it's safe to say, that by most states in the U.S.--attempting to commit suicide is not, in of itself, a crime.

Special conditions must be in place for it to be actionable as a "common law" crime, as outlined in the excerpt above.

Alun

I don't think much of the modern world tries to punish people for suicide; in general, laws surrounding suicide are designed only to prevent it. The government does need to take this role, as evidenced by the people whom the fire department responds to that try to jump from buildings, the people whom psychologists respond to that have tried or threatened to kill themselves, and the people whom emergency rooms service for self-inflicted injuries. Our last line of defense against suicide is there, and really only possible through the government.

However, the suicide rate in the U.S. is something like 31,000 per year, with over 500,000 reports of self-inflicted injury by emergency service per year (National Center for Health Statistics); I think that shows a huge problem with our psychology as a society. I'd speculate that it has primarily to do with our association of material gains, qualities, and skills with our emotional self-value, but I don't know a lot about the subject.

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superdude17*

what do you mean, what do i think about it? haha. is that regarding doctor assisted or personal issues, etc. i am confused.

suicide is very tragic when it happens.

Locke9-05

Yeah... It is. I believe the topic is suicide from a moral standpoint, though.

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"Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him."
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"What worries you, masters you."
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iTaliAN_ICe

I don't see how suicide is "illegal", seeing as how you can't punish a dead person. If you all are suggesting that we should no longer require those who attempt suicide to undergo medical/psychiatric treatment, I disagree.

Personally, I view suicide as a very selfish act that is committed without thinking of one's friends and family, not to mention oneself.

MikeT

I uncovered that attempting to kill yourself for the traditional reasons (depression, don't want to live anymore, etc.) is not illegal in the United States. So I think we can lay to rest any debate about this--unless someone wants to argue attempting suicide should be considered a criminal act punishable by our justice system?

As to the OP on this, I think what was being asked was for a more global response where international rates of suicide were discussed and what that might mean about the society/culture of diffrent global locations.

For instance, from what I understand, suicide and attempted suicide is much higher in the U.S. then elsewhere (though I admit to not researching this) and it does make me wonder if America is so great (as I think it is), how come so many people are willing to die to get out of it?

I haven't made any determinations, however, I'm just speculating here. My mind is wide-open to new information.

Ghost Rider

Nope. You have more information on this then I do.

That's why I said 'it's my understanding'. My age is showing. I'm from the time period when suicide was illegal. Pretty darn stupid of folks to have said - it's illegal - what were they going to do - arrest a corpse?

MikeT

That's all right, Ghost. I know exactly how this works. You wouldn't believe how many little "trivia" tidbits that I thought was true--as to my understanding of it--until I had to hunt up the information in the course of my career. I, too, used to believe that suicide was illegal, and that it was ridiculous to do that. But because of my experiences (due to my job) I've learned to be a bit more questioning of my own beliefs.

Do I know this, or do I just think this?
Is this something I have actually researched?
Is this something I have first hand experience with?

It's amazing how much I used to think I knew, but really didn't

As to the sucide laws, according to the reading I've done since this thread was introduced, it wasn't the person who killed themselves that the laws applied to--they applied to their property and in some cases/cultures, their mode of burial.

So even there, my previously held belief that charging a dead person with the crime of killing themself was a bit off the mark.

Interesting topic, though.