How would you like to die?

[Searif]

how would you like to die, not when but how

personally I would like to die in a war, so that was I wasent a pussy before my death

[Hamster]

I don't want to die period but no-one have any choice.

Well, I would like to die old. If I had to be murdered then just a shot in the head with a high powered rifle I guess. I am not willing to kill myself. I ain't going to hell.

[Vilkacis]

Old and toothless, in my bed, while I sleep, of natural causes and preferably after a long, fulfilling life.

And personally, I don't see how simply dying in a war would make anyone any less a coward -- it all depends on the circumstances. In general, though, I'd be much more inclined to respect the ones who made it through, the families of those who died, and -- most of all -- the ones who refused to participate, no matter the consequences.

-- Vilkacis

[Renorei]

This is what I want the day of my death to be like:

I'm 112. My husband and I wake up and watch the sunrise on a beautiful spring day. We go jogging down our long gravel driveway with our dogs. Afterwards, we take an old loaf of bread and toss bits of it into our massive lake, feeding the fish and ducks. Then we go into the house and make breakfast, consisting of toast, bacon, and eggs. Then we go fishing for a couple of hours. After that, we get ready to go to our twin great granddaughter's 5th birthdays. The party is a lot of fun and our great granddaughters get lots of presents and they like them all. We give them (and all of the other children in the family) lots of hugs and kisses. All our relatives are there and we all have a great time. The food is good, and afterwards, we all sit in chairs watching the kids swim in the pool or play in the sprinkler. Several hours later, we go home and take naps for a couple hours. Later, we get up and maybe knit or upholster furniture or something, and afterwards, we have dinner. He cooks. (Steak ). We sit in our rocking chairs for a few hours and talk for a while, watching the sunset. Later that night, we take showers and go to bed, snuggling happily in our down comforter and 1000 thread count egyptian cotton sheets. I die in my sleep, smiling.

Rather idealistic, eh?

[Figarou]

Personally, I don't think about it.

[Renorei]

In general, though, I'd be much more inclined to respect the ones who made it through, the families of those who died, and -- most of all -- the ones who refused to participate, no matter the consequences.

-- Vilkacis

Why would you have respect for ones who wouldn't participate? And why would you respect them more than ones who gave their lives?

Not criticizing, just curious, because I feel the exact opposite.

[Aki]

Hrmmm...

Multiple thoughts on this.

1. In a lover's arms, in one of those tragic kinda cinematic deaths where you can speak a bit before biting the dust. Hehe. A Cushy kinda death...

2. End of the world, die in apocalypse as a meteor or something hits and blows the hell outta the planet. That'd be friggin cool.

3. Old age. Boring, but painless.

[Lupin]

It isn't something I really think about but, I'd prefer to go in my sleep

[Vilkacis]

Why would you have respect for ones who wouldn't participate? And why would you respect them more than ones who gave their lives?

Not criticizing, just curious, because I feel the exact opposite.

Because those are the ones who would suffer through being labeled 'coward' and 'pussy,' endure being ostracized from society, and live with the consequences (incarceration and possibly death), rather than compromise their moral beliefs. I have more respect for someone who can stand up and say, "This is wrong! I will not help you do this thing." than I do for someone who would blindly murder people in the name of his country. It takes more courage to not fight, knowing and accepting the consequences, than it does to fight, die, and never have to live with what you have done.

Who is more brave: a person who cannot even suffer to be called a coward, or one who would endure it, and more, for a greater cause?



Now, this is just a general sort of observation. There are exceptions to each case, of course. For example, I have the utmost respect for someone who would die to save another person, while I have very little respect for one who would silently refuse to fight and run away to avoid the consequences. As I said in the beginning, it all depends on the circumstances.

-- Vilkacis

[vrikasatma]

Another vote for "in my sleep."

Not this way, that's for damn sure...

[Fenrir]

"All Things will Die

Clearly the blue river chimes in its flowing

Under my eye;
Warmly and broadly the south winds are blowing

Over the sky.
One after another the white clouds are fleeting;
Every heart this May morning in joyance is beating

Full merrily;
Yet all things must die.
The stream will cease to flow;
The wind will cease to blow;
The clouds will cease to fleet;
The heart will cease to beat;
For all things must die.
All things must die.
Spring will come never more.
O, vanity!
Death waits at the door.
See! our friends are all forsaking
The wine and the merrymaking.
We are call’d-we must go.
Laid low, very low,
In the dark we must lie.
The merry glees are still;
The voice of the bird
Shall no more be heard,
Nor the wind on the hill.
O, misery!
Hark! death is calling
While I speak to ye,
The jaw is falling,
The red cheek paling,
The strong limbs failing;
Ice with the warm blood mixing;
The eyeballs fixing.
Nine times goes the passing bell:
Ye merry souls, farewell.
The old earth
Had a birth,
As all men know,
Long ago.
And the old earth must die.
So let the warm winds range,
And the blue wave beat the shore;
For even and morn
Ye will never see
Thro’ eternity.
All things were born.
Ye will come never more,
For all things must die."

-Alfred, Lord Tenison
This came to mind

And I, I will die with my boots on

[vrikasatma]

Tap, tap, tap - Death rhythmically,
Taps a tomb with his heel,
Death at midnight plays a gigue,
Tap, tap, tap, on his violin.

The Winter wind blows, the night is dark,
The lime-trees groan aloud;
White skeletons flit across the gloom,
Running and leaping beneath their huge shrouds.

Tap, tap, tap, everyone's astir,
You hear the bones of the dancers knock,
A lustful couple sits down on the moss,
As if to savour past delights.

Tap, tap, tap, Death continues,
Endlessly scraping his shrill violin.
A veil has slipped! The dancer's naked!
Her partner clasps her amorously.

They say she's a baroness or marchioness,
And the callow gallant a poor cartwright.
Good God! And now she's giving herself,
As though the bumpkin were a baron!

Tap, tap, tap, what a saraband!
Circles of corpses all holding hands!
Tap, tap, tap, in the throng you can see
King and peasant dancing together!

But shh! Suddenly the dance is ended,
They jostle and take flight - the cock has crowed;
Ah! Nocturnal beauty shines on the poor!
And long live death and equality!

— Jean Lahor, "Danse Macabre"

[Shadow Wulf]

I would like to die while fighting in a war, but I would like to achieve several things before I die. but I really prefer to die of aging.

[Renorei]

Who is more brave: a person who cannot even suffer to be called a coward, or one who would endure it, and more, for a greater cause?

How can one serve a greater cause by doing nothing?

I, for one, think that I would be more afraid to go into a situation in which I knew I could be facing death, than one in which I knew the greatest danger was ridicule and scorn. Also, in today's society, it seems more like war vets are getting less and less respect, and are frequently being discriminated against.

Also, sometimes one has to murder some people to achieve a greater good. The ends justifies the means.

Of course those are just my opinions. I guess that's the bible belt in me coming out.

[Trinity]

Some speak of old age as if it were a good thing.

I guess if you are a helathy 80+ something, then good for you! My Uncle was like that, and he lived a fairly happy life too. Maybe with medical science, thinsg will get easier and easier...,

but I'm a tiny little bit jadded. Watching my Paternal Grandmother suffer almost everyday of her life with crippling rheumoitiod ( sp ) Arthritis really hits me hard. she is/was an artist, an art teacher, and loved paintinf.

Now.., she can't really pick up a brush. Her style has become less precise, her skills are still there.., locked away in her body. When she crits my work, or tries to give me a "redline", I can see the frustration of not being -able- to physically 'show- me what she means.

Now Arhtiritis runs on both side of my family.., and at 28 I'm starting to show the first beginning signs of it.


Honeslty. I just don't want to suffer. My WORST nightmare is being crippled in a near vegetative state.., with my mind intact..., but my body not able to respond to much of anythign at all. Gemme Dr. K. at that point. PLEASE!


No, let me die quickly, painlessly, without suffering.

If its young, then not too young. I dont' want my parents to have to burry me. Its far to sad when a parent buries their child.., honestly if anythign it shoul d be the other way around. IMO.

If its old, then not in the same way of my gran, I'd rather go like my Uncle. Fit, healthy, happy.

But swift and painless. I don't want to -know- i am dying.

I think the BRAVEST people of all are those with terminal cases of the various mortal illnesses. They KNOW they don't have long to live.., and merely count the days until their body gives out. Kudos folks. Far far braver then I.

[Teh_DarkJokerWolf]

Personally, I don't think about it.

I couldn't of said it any better myself Figarou

[Searif]

Hrmmm...

Multiple thoughts on this.

1. In a lover's arms, in one of those tragic kinda cinematic deaths where you can speak a bit before biting the dust. Hehe. A Cushy kinda death...

2. End of the world, die in apocalypse as a meteor or something hits and blows the hell outta the planet. That'd be friggin cool.

3. Old age. Boring, but painless.

yeah the end of the world thing would be good too, and vilkaris by dying in war I mean by either saving someone or compleating my objective then somehow die so that way I will have some history behind my death

[Vilkacis]

How can one serve a greater cause by doing nothing?

If someone asked you to kill a wolf...



Would you do nothing?

Or would you try to stop them?



It's not a matter of doing nothing. I have little respect for someone who simply stands aside or runs away. They must outright refuse to take part in those actions they disagree with, do their best to get others to do the same, and put their every effort into preventing it from happening.

I, for one, think that I would be more afraid to go into a situation in which I knew I could be facing death, than one in which I knew the greatest danger was ridicule and scorn. Also, in today's society, it seems more like war vets are getting less and less respect, and are frequently being discriminated against.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think that someone who willingly goes into war knowing full well that he probably won't come back out has a great deal of courage. But the other side of the coin has those that are pressured into it, or feel they don't have a choice, or believe they won't die, or want to die, or those who would slaughter people with no danger to themselves. All I was saying in the beginning is that going to war and dying shouldn't necessarily gain you automatic respect. It all depends on the situation.

Also, sometimes one has to murder some people to achieve a greater good. The ends justifies the means.

I strongly, strongly, strongly disagree. What value could you possibly assign to human life?

Could I slaughter your child to provide food for your dog? Would that be a greater good? You no longer have to feed a child, and now your dog has food. You have plenty of baby clothes you can sell. The ends are good, so the means must be justified...

Oh, but wait. That would make you very sad, you say? Perhaps the emotional strain outweighs the results. What if we took some orphan off the street, then? Is it okay to turn orphans into pet food?

What if we started killing those who did not fit a certain genetic profile? And those with defects and contagious illnesses? Humankind in general would certainly improve. Population would go down drastically; there would be less strain on the world's resources. Quality of life would dramatically improve for everyone. We would have a master race whose strong genetics would make them intelligent, healthy, resistant to disease, etc. Surely you can see the greater good in this?

Or is it only good if you number among the survivers?

I'm telling you: no one whose life is forcefully wrested from them would consider the means justified -- no matter the ends.



"There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending." -- Abraham Lincoln



-- Vilkacis

[Renorei]

Also, sometimes one has to murder some people to achieve a greater good. The ends justifies the means.

I strongly, strongly, strongly disagree. What value could you possibly assign to human life?

Could I slaughter your child to provide food for your dog? Would that be a greater good? You no longer have to feed a child, and now your dog has food. You have plenty of baby clothes you can sell. The ends are good, so the means must be justified...

Oh, but wait. That would make you very sad, you say? Perhaps the emotional strain outweighs the results. What if we took some orphan off the street, then? Is it okay to turn orphans into pet food?

What if we started killing those who did not fit a certain genetic profile? And those with defects and contagious illnesses? Humankind in general would certainly improve. Population would go down drastically; there would be less strain on the world's resources. Quality of life would dramatically improve for everyone. We would have a master race whose strong genetics would make them intelligent, healthy, resistant to disease, etc. Surely you can see the greater good in this?

Or is it only good if you number among the survivers?

I'm telling you: no one whose life is forcefully wrested from them would consider the means justified -- no matter the ends.



"There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending." -- Abraham Lincoln



-- Vilkacis

Perhaps I should have clarified. The ends justifies the means when the overall benefit of the end is greater than the consequence of fulfilling the mean. No dog could ever be more important than a child.

I understand where you are coming from. But I still feel the way that I do. I don't know if you are religious or not, but I am. Which is sorta why I believe in sacrifice. The sacrifice of one man resulted in all of us being saved. Of course he was willing to die, but I still think that if there is a large and noticeable benefit for everyone else, then a life or a few lives can be spent to achieve that end.

As far as whether or not I would be willing to be part of the 'means', I think in some cases I would. If, somehow, my death could significantly benefit a very large number of people, how could I refuse? I wouldn't give my live to benefit one person, or even two. But a very large number? I think that maybe I would.

What if there was a man running around with a contagious, deadly disease that hadn't spread to anyone yet but inevitably would? Would you kill him so the disease wouldn't spread to everyone else? If he would not willingly submit to quarantine, I most certainly would.

(just so everyone knows, I'm not trying to start a flame war. I just like hearing other's opinions)

[Vilkacis]

Perhaps I should have clarified. The ends justifies the means when the overall benefit of the end is greater than the consequence of fulfilling the mean. No dog could ever be more important than a child.

When is a life less valuable than priceless? At what point does it suddenly become OK to murder?

I understand where you are coming from. But I still feel the way that I do. I don't know if you are religious or not, but I am. Which is sorta why I believe in sacrifice. The sacrifice of one man resulted in all of us being saved. Of course he was willing to die, but I still think that if there is a large and noticeable benefit for everyone else, then a life or a few lives can be spent to achieve that end.

There is a big difference between someone who is willing to give up his own life to save others and one who is willing to take someone else's life to save others.

All the difference in the world.

As far as whether or not I would be willing to be part of the 'means', I think in some cases I would. If, somehow, my death could significantly benefit a very large number of people, how could I refuse? I wouldn't give my live to benefit one person, or even two. But a very large number? I think that maybe I would.

Very noble of you, choosing to give yourself up willingly. But what if you didn't have a choice? What if the cause wasn't necessarily one you approved of? Would you still be so amenable?

What if there was a man running around with a contagious, deadly disease that hadn't spread to anyone yet but inevitably would? Would you kill him so the disease wouldn't spread to everyone else? If he would not willingly submit to quarantine, I most certainly would.

This is a difficult situation, but it need not result in any deaths. If he would not willingly submit to quarantine, then he is consciously and intentionally putting lives at risk. People have gone to jail for less. I don't see any problem, therefore, in forcefully isolating him and taking whatever measures are necessary to see that he doesn't spread the disease. Cure him if possible; if he cannot be cured do whatever is possible to make his life comfortable until he, unfortunately, passes away.

I don't see any reason to go and kill the unlucky man -- he's obviously already having a bad day.

-- Vilkacis

[Anubis]

i want to die while doing some thing cool like fighting ninjas , or beating the crap out of Bin ladden.

[Set]

How I'd like to die: As quickly and painlessly as possible.

How I'll probably die: A) Suicide. I'm not going to submit myself to the torture of growing old. My limit is forty. B) I'll get my throat ripped out by a certain wolf. C) I'll die while taking him down with me.

[vrikasatma]

Regarding: Killing one for the greater good.
This comes back to that old ethics warhorse question: If you had a chance to go back in time to kill Hitler before WWII started, would you do it?
My answer was varied over time and as I got wiser.
My first answer was, "I'd go back in time and try to draw him away from the path he wound up taking." Playing devil's advocate here: he did revitalize the country and pulled Germany up by its bootstraps; this was not a bad thing, in and of itself. But something went screwy with the wiring somewhere along the line and what could have been a chance for true greatness, went bad and became the epitome of corruption and evil personified.
So when I was thinking on that later, I asked myself the same question and answered thus:
"In order to have stopped Hitler and the Nazi Regime from rising and causing WWII, you'd have had to have stopped WWI, because Germany wound up getting screwed when they lost that war. That's where they went sour and that's what put Adolf and his buddies on the path to Hell."
Question 2: How do you stop WWI? I'll let y'all chew on that little chestnut. Meanwhile...

To Trinity, particularly on the point of parents burying children.
Mom and I had this discussion a couple days ago. I don't plan to die but I wanted to cover all the bases and at the same time start girding my loins and screwing up my courage if by some reason it comes to that and I have to face it. I said, "If this gets out into my lymph system, I won't put you and the rest of the family through that again." My Dad had lung cancer and it metastisized into his lymph; that was terrible. We just watched him get eaten alive over four months. Personally, I don't want to die like that, and inflicting that on a family once in their lifetime is, frankly, once too many. I didn't want them to live through that on my account, so I discussed what I wanted done in case that happens.
Oregon is a "Death With Dignity" state, the only law in the nation that allows you to commit physician-assisted suicide in extreme circumstances, like fatal disease. I'd have taken advantage of that to spare my family. I have the number of a place that does cremation up here; I gave instructions as to what was to be done with my ashes. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but we both cried. I felt terrible for talking about it to my Mom, because we were between a rock and a hard place. What's worse? Watching a loved one slowly die of lymphoma, or being the parent and having to bury the child?

Would you just try to talk Hitler out of it? Or would you just kill him?

[Renorei]

Hmmm...

Well, you and I obviously have very different opinions on the value of human life. Honestly, I've never thought human life was as 'precious' as everyone else seems to. I will pretty much always believe that the ends justifies the means (in most circumstances), but I respect your opinions. Kudos on raising many valid points.

[Vilkacis]

Hmmm...

Well, you and I obviously have very different opinions on the value of human life. Honestly, I've never thought human life was as 'precious' as everyone else seems to. I will pretty much always believe that the ends justifies the means (in most circumstances), but I respect your opinions. Kudos on raising many valid points.

I enjoy a good debate. It forces me to to think about things I wouldn't bother with otherwise and makes me solidify and express my own viewpoints and arguments (which can be nebulous at times). It gives me the opportunity to get into someone else's head and see through their eyes. Even if we don't both agree in the end, I'd like to think we both have the opportunity to come out better because of it (so thank you for that).

It's hard to find people that are willing to discuss their viewpoints without thinking you're attacking them personally.

-- Vilkacis