Reply #10: How about you look at the facts before suggesting we kill people

[Oak2004]

The fact is that, generally, people live for months, not years, once they reach "nursing home" stage, and that this is true regardless of age. Moreover most people remain active and independent through all but the very tail end of their lives, regardless of the age they die at. People are living past 80 these days not because they're being kept alive on some sort of life support, but because they are healthy past that age. Do you actually know very many 80 year olds? Because its hard to imagine you'd make such a statement if you actually did associate with today's 80-somethings.

Do you think I (a disabled person) ought to be allowed to die at my age (50) rather than "extend my life" (I require a lot more medical care than my 80 year old mother)? Do you think a 20-something quad placed in a nursing home because Medicaid and Medicare in many states won't pay for in-home care (even though it is both cheaper and prolongs life) should be allowed to die? Where do you propose declaring people to be "life unworthy of life", and should we move that line whenever it is politically convenient (i.e., to meet temporary budget goals?). And if you don't think it should, exactly how do you propose preventing politicians from, once establishing criteria for killing people through neglect, moving your line for the sake of convenience?