Posted on 01/29/2007 5:09:42 PM PST by neverdem
Remember Jack Kevorkian? He's the American euthanasia doctor behind bars for second-degree murder. He's also the one who wanted to look into the eyes of those in the process of dying for his "obitiatric research".
Despite his ghoulishness, Kevorkian is revered by those such as Derek Humphry, co-founder of the pro-euthanasia group the Hemlock Society, who described Kevorkian's incarceration as "a tragedy for an honourable man". Kevorkian assisted or lethally injected at least 130 people, mostly middle-aged women. More than 70 per cent were not terminally ill. Most were disabled or depressed.
Recently, the Swiss group Dignitas, which has assisted hundreds of suicides and promotes euthanasia, has petitioned the Swiss Supreme Court for permission to assist the suicides of the chronically depressed and mentally ill.
In Australia, our most vocal euthanasia advocate, Philip Nitschke, is on record for advocating a suicide pill for the depressed, the elderly bereaved and troubled teenagers.
At the heart of this issue is the belief that everyone should have the right to die on their own terms: when, where, and how they want, with social, legal, and medical support from the state. While in the first instance this would take the form of legislation for difficult cases, it would not stop there.
As we have learnt from the Netherlands, legislating for hard euthanasia cases cannot be contained. Once the state legislates for the killing of any of its innocent members, even upon their request, it has breached a principle that protects us all. When the state legalises euthanasia, all are at risk.
In the Netherlands, assisted suicide soon turned to euthanasia. At the outset, only for the terminally ill. Now the chronically ill. Initially for physical illness. Now for psychological distress. At first, strictly upon voluntary request. Thousands of cases of euthanasia now occur without a request from the patient. Some doctors just know best. The Dutch recently legislated to permit euthanasia for 12- to 16-year-olds, and dozens of disabled babies have been illegally euthanased at Groningen Hospital, by doctors who are now pressuring the Government for permission to terminate infant lives.
Despite the rhetoric about strict criteria, mandatory reporting and tight regulation, it is impossible to safely manage legalised euthanasia. As Herbert Hendin, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College, puts it: "One hardly knows which is more chilling, the widespread flouting of the scant and effectively toothless legal regulation of euthanasia in Holland, or the sangfroid with which it is defended by the Dutch practitioners."
This is why every major body of inquiry worldwide has rejected voluntary euthanasia, and why modern communities should continue to do so.
Greg Pike is director of the Southern Cross Bioethics Institute.
Ping
I don't understand why it's humane to euthanize suffering animals, but intelligent humans are not allowed the same dignity.
Like abortion only for the life of the mother, decades ago....
That didn't last too long did it..?
LIFE IS cheap IN A LIBERAL WORLD..
and humans are nothing but a statistic divided by colors, age, and race... this from the most enlightened party..
OH, I don't know, maybe it's that little thing called a SOUL?
There is also a Lancet study that reports 8% of Dutch infant mortality is due to lethal injection.
So if you were permanently disabled, you would have your two children spend the rest of your life, and the rest of their resources, caring for you?
Given a choice, I'd rather not, thank you.
Oh you mean like Terri Schiavo, who was murdered by the order of the courts.
Show me a study of disabled dependents and what choice THEY would prefer.
In the UK Catholics have special id cards that say in case I am sent to a hospital please contact a priest, and I wish to be given hydration and food. There was a thread here on FR they have given out over 2,000 of them.
No, I mean like intelligent articulate permanently disabled ones who clearly do not want to burden their families.
It is very bad in the UK. many doctors are making decisions to end life based on economics.
My wife and I would like to each get one of those cards.
I suspect and hope many of those families would be willing to accept that burden.
According to those who support the notion of suicide it is a very heroic act.
If it is heroic, then it should be done by the suicide himself.
If they don't have the ability to kill themselves then they shouldn't be allowed to degrade the medical profession by encouraging or requiring doctors and nurses to participate.
Instead they should hire a paid assassin to kill them.
That's a lot more dignified than degrading an already degraded profession and making a mockery of the Hippocratic Oath.
Hey, I will see if I can find the article I think it was in the Telegraph. I forwarded it to a priest friend of mine who has a show on Sirus radio
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.