Signing a will: assisted suicide?

10 Comments

(edited for clarity and neutrality)

Let's say there's a guy named John. John is an emotional person. He often talks of gloomy subjects such as hardships of life and death. You could say that he's a pretty "emo" guy.

John wasn't always a happy person. However, with recent downturns in school and social life, John has been becoming increasingly depressed and suicidal. Although John did consider therapy more than once, he has never actually consulted a psychologist.

Greg and Sarah are John's two closest and oldest friends. Consequently, both of them are well aware of John's suicide ideations as of late.

One day, John approaches Greg and Sarah and asks them for an unusual favour: he wants them to sign his Will as witnesses (Greg and Sarah aren't defined as beneficiaries of John's Will). John simply explains that he thought it would be a good idea to have a Will just so he's prepared no matter when he dies. Being his best friends, Greg and Sarah sign the Will.

A few weeks pass, and John commits suicide.

Should Greg and Sarah have known better? Are they guilty of assisted suicide?

Both legally and morally wrong 8
Legally wrong, but not morally wrong 7
Not legally wrong, but morally wrong 19
Neither legally nor morally wrong 59
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Comments ( 10 )
  • [Old Memory]
    13 years ago

    greg and sarah are legally and morally wrong. They knew this would happen, he's done it before

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  • Dricey
    13 years ago

    Becoming An Hero isn't like directing a movie, you don't get to thank the stunt men, and camera B operators and shit.

    It's a solo operation.

    Last option.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Well said.

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  • PandaGirl
    13 years ago

    Neither legally nor morally wrong.

    They only signed a will. Whether they knew of his planned demise or not, they only consented to LEGALLY sign an official document. If they hadn't 'John' would have doubtless killed himself anyway without a contingency plan.

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  • [Old Memory]
    13 years ago

    no there not they didn't know he would kill him self and how could he have killed him self before

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  • misterguydude
    13 years ago

    Clearly not legally liable for a suicide, as the term itself refers to self-committed. Morally, how is it the fault of the friend that the person gave up on their own life? It's not. No court or friend or family member would ever blame you. However, it is 'normal' to feel guilt during the passing of a friend/colleague/family member because you were a part of their lives, and consequently their actions has had an impact on yours. If you didn't feel guilty, then I would question your morals as a lack of emotional connection would most likely make you at least quasi-sociopathic. Then again, everyone deals with emotional trauma differently. People who decide that suicide is the answer to life's imposing environment are usually lacking the passion that drives the rest of us, or at least believe that nothing is better than the fear of what could be. Let me tell you a story that brings up a similar issue. I recently visited a family member who, in a passing conversation, asked me if I would just help them die rather than live the remnants of their life in a rest home waiting to pass. Of course I told them no, but I have had that conversation in my mind for a long time and I often wonder if it would have been such a bad thing to have helped him or not?

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  • Whitneyhouston
    13 years ago

    Nothing wrong with any of this. They were good friends and supported him. I mean, not EVERYONE wants to live, who are they to force him? Suicide is a kinda selfish thing to do, but..
    Who am I to judge?

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  • WhispererintheDark
    13 years ago

    Our mortal lives, are ours to do with as we will. if we desire, our loved ones to aid us in our deaths, why should the law say they are not allowed?

    People burden one another, with nonsense morals, morals which should have faded into obscurity many centuries ago. Our flesh, our blood, our life, lies within our hands. Should we wish, to end it at any moment in time, we can. If we request for another to help us to achieve this, it shouldn't be a matter of law, but of how willing the other person is, in aiding someone to die.

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  • sjackson2016
    13 years ago

    they are not legally wrong there was no law broken however it was pretty obviouse what was going on so i belive they are morally wrong i belive that the greg and sarah truley know if there morally wrong

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    • Angel_in_a_Glass_Dress
      12 years ago

      Plus he could have easily have found someone else to sign it as well.

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