Saturday 28 January 2012

The right to life

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Council of Europe have stated that euthanasia and assisted suicide should be banned in every country in the Continent. The article states that an explicit condemnation of euthanasia was inserted into a non-binding resolution entitled: "Protecting human rights and dignity by taking into account previously expressed wishes of patients", a resolution which can be read here. Point 5 of the resolution states:
"This resolution is not intended to deal with the issues of euthanasia or assisted suicide. Euthanasia, in the sense of the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit, must always be prohibited. This resolution thus limits itself to the question of advance directives, living wills and continuing powers of attorney."
"alleged benefit"? If, as enshrined in Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has a right to life then is it not also their right if they wish to end that life? What this resolution is calling for is the blanket imposition of a denial to the right of individual choice for people - and those who voted for this are practising the art of dictatorship, no more no less. Not that this is anything new - deciding what people may or may not do would appear to be the sole reason politicians exist.


The people of country 'A' may decide that assisted suicide is permissible, while those in country 'B' may vote that it is not. People of country 'B' wishing to travel to country 'A' to exercise their right to terminate what is theirs - and theirs alone - should not be criminalised.


Just saying........

5 comments:

john in cheshire said...

We should have a Logan's Run system for all EU bureaucrats. They can do what they do for say, 10 years, and then it's off to the abbatoir with them. I wonder how many would volunteer for the job, then?

TomTom said...

Perhaps you could read up on T-4 Euthanasia Program before commenting. Losing a family member under such a policy when doctors filling out forms thought they were getting extra resources for their patients, is quite an education.

Germany has learned a lesson other countries have failed to heed

WitteringsfromWitney said...

TT: I presume you are referring to the Nazi T4 programme?

Having witnessed first hand a hospital treating my brother who had incurable cancer of the blood cells, who was in pain with no hope of remission, asking my mother and I whether we would like the dosage of morphine increased which would result in the obvious end result, a question my brother begged us to agree to, I feel your comment is slightly 'misplaced'?

I take on board your reference, however is not the situation slightly different? One involved no decision by the recipients, the other did - if not of my brother, his nearest and dearest?

jic: Accept what you say but see comment to TT.

Anonymous said...

The taking of someone's life other than one's own is murder.

Whether it is done actively or by omission, it is murder.

The Hippocratic oath excludes the possibility of medical involvement in assisted suicide. Whether the oath is still sworn in these exciting times of declining civilisation and burgeoning barbarity I do not know.

Mt Phipps, if you are in favour of murder and are offering such elimination services for hire at reasonable cost and can guarantee client anonymity, I have a priority list of persons I should very much like to see removed from our society at once.

Warning: the list contains several hundred names, most of which you will recognise and a bulk discount price is expected. This will undoubtedly be an excellent business opportunity for the operative with the right discretion and practical skills.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Anon: You are being argumentative! Agree with your first para, however hypothetical situation

If my wife had incurable disease, was in pain, with short life span and begged me to assist her, if I loved her, then I do not think I would have any choice. It is her life, not mine - and only she would have the right to decide what she wishes to do with it.