Do we deserve to die?
Monday, February 8th, 2010
Last night I watched a current affairs program called ‘Four Corners’ and the title of their episode was “A Good Death”. It followed four people, ranging in age between mid-40′s to mid-80′s who have recently been told they only have a short time to live due to terminal illness. It documented their experiences and their stories in a truly honest and heartbreaking manner and managed to highlight the lack of palliative care in Australia (I dare say this is an issue in many Western nations).
This episode reminded me of two very important issues. One was the obvious notion that we have a very short time on this planet and it would be selfish and utterly ridiculous not to make the most of it. The other is that I truly believe humans should have the option to die a dignified and self-imposed death.
To me, it makes total sense. If I have been told I have a terminal illness and there is very little likelihood I will survive, I would like to be respected enough to make a decision regarding my life. I would like to know that I would not have to suffer unbearable pain with no quality of life simply because our politicians are conservative and wish to impose their beliefs on me. I am a mature, intelligent being and I would like to think I could be treated as one, even when it comes to the touchy subject of euthanasia.
Why is it that humans will put down an animal that is in extreme pain and has no chance of survival because it is the ‘humane’ thing to do? Why do we hold that this is totally different if we replaced the word animal with human? A friend has a mug that says ‘I want to die like a dog’ and I agree wholeheartedly.
I have been involved in this debate for many years and have heard arguments from many points of view. The one that seems to crop up the most is that God tells us not to kill and therefore euthanasia is wrong. If you believe in God I respect your stance however I do not agree. I don’t believe in an all supreme being, so shouldn’t I have the right to my beliefs and be allowed to carry them out with the respect of others who may not hold them?
Another argument that is often raised is that if euthanasia was allowed, people would be killing off their relations for material good such as money and property under the guise of ending suffering. Do the people that make this argument truly believe that a legislated and policed act could really lead to this? The simple solution to this highly unlikely problem is to have many layers of checks and balances in place so that an individual can prove they are of sound mind and are ready to end their life. It works in Switzerland, why not here?
This is such a dense and complicated topic and I could not hope to cover all of the bases often discussed in relation to it- I have really only skimmed the surface. I just wanted to highlight the problem and let the blog world know where I stand on this. I have put some links at the bottom, including the episode of ‘Four Corners’ from last night. More than anything, I would like to start a discussion and hear what you all have to say; I know this is a heavy topic but please comment and leave your thoughts/beliefs with regards to euthanasia. It needs to be discussed rather than ignored like our politicians manage to do so well.
Exit International – An organisation headed by Dr Philip Nitschke that advocates the right to choice regarding euthanasia
