Euthanasia

Writing to the Editor of The Dominion Post (June 22, 2016) one Roseanne Harmon supports the uintroduction of lawful euthanasia in New Zealand.

She says people should have access to it if their lives:
• are beyond repair
• causing personal distress
• causing private and public expense.

That is either an amazingly honest revelation of opinion by a dyed in the wool euthanasia advocate or a statement by someone who hasn’t really thought of the consequences.

The fundamnental questions remain:
• is an assisted suicide a situation of truly dying with dignity?
• should physically sick humans be put down like animals or can medication sufficiently ease their pain and allow a natural death?
• do we want the kind of society that encourages our grandmothers and grandfathers to feel guilty for taking advantage of modern medicine to prolong their lives?
• do the mentally ill and mentally disabled not deserve help with their distress that stops short of killing them?

At various levels we suffer all our lives, and in the past, we’ve lauded those who coped exeptionbally well with their adversities (e.g. Helen Keller). Should they not have lived to touch our lives with inspiration?