People should be allowed to commit suicide

My opponent states that suicide is morally right. My opponent supports this argument by stating that "people shouldn't go through that amount of suffering each day and if nothing else works they should have the right to kill themselves morally". I would like to note a vast majority of religions have negative views toward suicide and it would be seen as not moral. However since my opponent doesn't seem to take that in consideration I will explain why it would not be moral for an evolutionist. This is because one of our jobs as a living being is to survive as well as spread one's genes. Those who commit suicide do not. However humans do think at a higher level than other living beings so one may suggest that we can live by a different standard. To this I will agree, but I believe this holds us to a higher more responsible standard. Suicide can be seen as a selfish act because it is taking only ones suffering into consideration. Humans as a social species look out for one another it is the responsible thing to do. Individuals who commit suicide don't care for the community and those who let them don't care for the individual. Suicide therefore has no place in a responsible community and therefore should not be allowed. My opponent acts like there is no expense to other individuals but there is even if the person has no one they still have potential to do something positive rather than end there life. This wasted potential is a waste and wasting is not responsible and not moral. My opponent uses the analogy of studying for a test. If one doesn't succeed at a test after trying 5 times using the same method one tries a different approach. The individual that keeps trying a different approach may eventually succeed or they may not, but they will never know unless they continue to try. Suicide would be like quitting the test, and I feel the more noble action would be the person who tries and fails rather than quitting. My opponent argues that after a year of therapy one simply knows if it is going to work. My opponent doesn't seem to understand one of the greatest challenges in therapy is breaking past the mental barriers created by the human mind. These barriers have been created and have existed in the suffering individuals mind for a long time. Getting past these can take years at the very least. Yes it will be unsuccessful for a while but one who enters a therapy success typical is like a person studying while intoxicated. If the person has studied intoxicated all their lives they don't know any different and typically when people find something that they believe works they stick to it. The therapist job is to try to get them to try and show them the alternatives but it is up to the individual to take that path. It takes a long time to learn to think a different way and to let go of old ways of thinking to except new ways of thinking. There are also many forms of therapy which each take years before a breakthrough can occur. There are also medications one must take. Another alternative one who is suffering can partake in rather than suicide is partaking in a high risk charity. For example they can go to Africa and try to improve the lives of the individuals there that way they can improve the lives of others and possibly end their lives in the risky environment. This may be therapeutic as well because they can see the suffering of others and it may change their perspective of live. It is possible that seeing these starving people who have nothing striving to stay alive may put some perspective on things. How long would such a trip take? Quite a long time I would assume put that on top of multiple forms of therapy and medication trails and time just flies by. I agree people do have a choice to get rid of their own life however that is irresponsible because they are wasting the potential on quick fix and this quick fix affects other person's which is a selfish act because they are not considering their actions on other people and by no means can be deemed as moral. Many civilizations when telling moral stories talk about a hero who despite suffering tries to overcome it and tries to make the world a better place despite one's own needs. A person who does this is not a hero but instead a coward and people do not aspire to be a coward because it is the less moral thing. My opponent says they are not contributing to the community which I agree with it is hard to contribute to the community when you are planning to die in the near future. Why would they work? Maybe if they planned on living longer they would contribute more. To contribute they just have to work and pay taxes. If they really want to contribute they could give up everything and work for charities and try to improve the lives of other so they don't have to suffer. They could also create art to express their suffering that way they may be able to inspire others. Anything seems better than wasting away planning ones near future death. My opponent keeps mentioning how others should understand an individual committing suicide and if they care they will support them. Why shouldn't individual committing suicide try to understand those preventing him/her from doing so? Why shouldn't that individual think about the suffering they are going to cause in their selfish act? Yes the people "may" get over it but they will always wonder what they did wrong and why they could not save the person and this will scare them. My opponent states "suffering if it is to the right extent is a just reason for killing yourself" yet he does not take into account what is mild to him may be severe to another. So would that person be entitled to causally end their life because someone hurt their feelings? That may be the worst suffering they have ever known. Suicide is not coping it is a form of escape rather than dealing and overcoming the struggles that life has tossed at you. My opponent seems to underestimate the human potential to overcome suffering I believe with the right mind set anyone can overcome it and those considering suicide don't have this mind set. However though difficult to change ones mindset it is not impossible. My opponent ends his argument by saying that people should hold off to commit suicide if they are caring for another. So under these circumstances you are asking these individual to be responsible but then they are free of all responsibility after that. I fail to see how one can be both moral and irresponsible at the same time. My opponent seems to suggest that suicide is a cure yet to me it seems as though that individual has given up on the cure. The individual will never be able to take back their actions maybe in an alternate reality they could have found something to live for and to strive for but they have forgone that for quick fix. A cure that kills is no cure at all.