Murder or Assisted Suicide?

Use this forum to discuss the October Book of the Month "McDowell" by William H. Coles.
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Aniza Butt
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Re: Murder or Assisted Suicide?

Post by Aniza Butt »

I think it was a murder. Hiram could have discussed that with his doctors and his mother.
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Post by Lee-Ann20 »

I think it's more of compassionate death. Jeremy wanted to die, Ann was afraid of him and McDowell knew what he could do to end it.
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Post by Chelsey Coles »

Yes! I think McDowell was the only one who saw that. Jeremy would not be able to function. He has no senses. He blew his brains out for a reason. If he woke up...
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Chelsey Coles
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Post by Chelsey Coles »

Technically it is murder because Jeremy didn't consent. Yet assisted suicide because that's why Jeremy was in that state in the first place. Simply continuing the wish... But one thing:

WHY did McDowell move the camera? Even though he didn't know about the second camera, didn't he think "hmm maybe if someone checks the camera and sees me moving it they may suspect something?" Or did he not care and did what he thought he had to do?
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Hiruni Bhagya 81
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Post by Hiruni Bhagya 81 »

Hiram didn't have the right to kill Jeremy whether it's murder or assisted suicide. One person can't just kill another person, even if that person wanted to die. Jeremy might have had a natural death or maybe he'd have healed and understood his faults and become a good person. But because of Hiram's actions, he didn't get a chance at that and we can't say what would have happened.
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Post by SavannaEGoth »

Without consent from both aware parties it would likely be considered a murder. Even one's family can't object to their wishes of AS if they've stated their wishes. However, there is an issue when a stance was never given by the patient beforehand in addition to a family not being made aware of the situation and given the decision. If there was no choice made before, the decision falls to the family and they choose for when life support is ended. Otherwise technically it would be a murder.
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Post by Ghost11111 »

I don't think Hiram should have been charged with a crime at all but if I had to choose between the two, I would say it was assisted suicide. Jeremy was in a completely vegetative state where all five of his senses no longer worked and he would never be able to wake up or interact with the world in any way. He was only one step away from brain dead in which pulling the plug would have been an ethical option. In cases of assisted suicide since many places do consider it the same as murder, it is not uncommon to make sure no one else is in the room or turn off any recording devices in case you get caught similar to what Hiram did. This doesn't read as murder to me.
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Kaylee Elmer
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Post by Kaylee Elmer »

I would say Hiram murdered Jeremy. Jeremy couldn't speak, so we can't be sure of what his wishes were. Yes, he tried to kill himself, but he could have changed his mind. I think Hiram murdered Jeremy because Jeremy being dead would be more convenient than if he was alive.

I absolutely hated Hiram's character though, so my opinion may be a bit biased.
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Post by Choine »

I vote for murder considering Hiram killed Jeremy after the fact. If it wasn't for the fact that Jeremy was unconscious and in a hospital bed, then it might be assisted suicide depending on the circumstances.
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Post by Namaste23 »

Technically murder. I think for it to be assisted suicide, Jeremy has to be able to make his wishes known to the doctors.
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Post by HanElizabeth397 »

I would say murder. Assisted suicide normally involves an on-going discussion about how one person doesn't want to live anymore but they can't take their own life for a reason or variety of reasons.
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Post by Readinggrl18 »

I think it was murder. Jeremy didn't ask him as his doctor to help him die. He tried to kill himself and Hiram took it into his own hands to make sure it happened.
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Post by Liveforchrist51 »

In this case I say murder. He didn’t know his grandson well enough to know if that’s what he would have wanted. After a failed suicide attempt, some people have a change of heart. Hiram didn’t ask anyone’s opinion before he did it.
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Post by Smmwallace »

Although Jeremy did try to kill himself, and Hiram appeared to be ending his suffering, at the end of the day, it was still murder because at that point, Jeremy wasn't conscious to give Hiram consent.
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Post by photosynthesis19 »

I think this question does not have an obvious objective answer. It depends on the reader's beliefs and value system. Personally, I would want to be put asleep if my body and mind ever get to a point of no recovery, like Jeremy did. This helps relieve the health and social welfare system and often helps family members who continue to suffer as long as their loved one is in a state of virtual death. However, my view is based on my atheist upbringing, and I understand that people of different faiths and backgrounds will have differing opinions.
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