http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41506155 - this is a story from a few days ago about a man who is terminally ill with motor neurone disease who lost his High Court challenge to fight for his right to die.
The judgment does confirm, however, that the courts do have the authority to declare current inconsistency with human rights.
Noel Conway, a grandfather and retired lecturer from Shrewsbury, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2014 and is not expected to live beyond 12 months.
One of the groups on Monday were looking at the contentious issue of euthanasia and that is what prompted me to post this story for you to comment on.
I do understand that this issue can be sensitive, personal, difficult to articulate thoughts on, but if you do wish to make some comments, please do so in the box below.
Mark
I had seen this before our group chat and read up about the ruling, as it happened we didn't have the time to get to it.
ReplyDeleteDespite considering the issue in depth in preparation for the discussion I still don't have a definitive view of what I feel is right or wrong in every case however I am definitely leaning towards the view that when someone has an illness that is terminal and will lead to an inevidibely long and traumatic death, as is the case here, then there should be some form of legislation that allows at the very least assisted suicide (what form that should take I can't answer).
I think what is important is that this issue remains in the public domain so that the views of the general public are heard and can be legislated appropriately.
It is however with regret that euthanasia only seems to come into an individual's conscious thought, and certainly the wider publics thoughts, when there is a high profile court case such as this or when they are personally affected by a terminal illness of self or family. The result being that when there is not a public demand for something then parliament wont consider and respond to the issue. It is something that has the potential to affect us all and so I feel we all have a responsibilty to consider eurhanasia legislation and what is right.
My deepest sympathies are with this man who is having to fight legal battles at a time when he should be managing his illness and spending precious time with loved ones.
I don't know the answer but I do feel that what we have now, people feeling unbearable suffering and their families risking prosecution, is not working. I believe in autonomy over our own bodies and in free will and to not allow euthanasia, in any circumstances, challenges the very principle of this.
I get what you are saying Laura. However I’m going to have to agree with the church on this issue and regard euthanasia as morally wrong.
DeleteIt has always taught the unchanging valuable commandment of "You shall not kill".
Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a foetus, an infant or an adult, one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying!
Since it is morally wrong to commit suicide it is also morally wrong to help someone commit suicide.
We are currently in a culture of death in modern society, and human beings should always prefer the way of life to the way of death.
This is horrible , I think most of you know from our group discussion my viewpoint haha so this comment won’t differ from that at all. MND is horrible ! And completely debilitating ! Or ‘maladaptive’ as Elaine says. It’s so horrible to see that this man has to endure this suffering and on top of that knowing that after all of this suffering he is being forced to endure , he will die anyway ! It’s so tough as it is illegal! But this is a case where I wish the law could be changed. This man would like to avoid suffering, spare his family watching him endure this pain and suffering , and is being denied his wishes to do so! I know from experience in watching my grandfather suffer and inevitably pass not from MND but the big C. If I had the option for him to avoid it and not go through it and witness the effects it had in his body and mind and spirit , I would have stopped it in a heartbeat. I agree with Laura in that I have great sympathy since it seems now he has wasted such precious time :( maybe next time we can have a discussion topic on fluffy bunnies or unicorns or leprechauns or something ...?
ReplyDeleteI vote leprechauns please. Serial killers and euthanasia...tough month ;-)
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