Twank, don't take this the wrong way!  I have long felt that much of the establishment would like to condemn us to linger as long as possible and to consume as many medical dis-services as possible before dying.  An unholy alliance of fundamentalism corporate interests and a government that caters to both.  We see what has happened to Jack Kevorkian and we saw what the Bush administration did to stymie Oregon's Right to Die law.

I have freaked out many friends by saying that the final act of social defiance is to end one's life on one's own terms, but that is what I believe.  To relatives and others who say that this is for God to decide I have said: "God either doesn't care or is a sadistic bastard." I love life and want to live as long as I can in conditions that are satisfactory to myself, but no longer.  Then I want to be able to drink my cyanide Cool-Aid.  By trying to oppose such self determined actions all these folks are doing is putting pressure on people to end their lives while they still have the power to do so on their own, and earlier than they otherwise would have to do so.

There used to be a Hemlock Society.  Somewhere I have an envelope full of practical information from them.  They appear to have a successor organization.successor organization. I haven't checked them out.  I hope that I have another 20-30 years before I will need them.  I hope by that time that such issues will be dealt with more rationally.  

Hope springs eternal in the human breast.
Man n'er is but is always to be blest.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."