🚀 go-pugleaf

Iain Jameson <Iain.Jamesonx@dsto.defence.gov.au> wrote in article
<32E6CA58.3B75@dsto.defence.gov.au>...
> A third person - a 69 year old man - (has) used the 
> Northern Territory law to end his life...> 
> ... 
> As usual, the anti-euthanasia brigade have deplored
> this action.
> ...
> Interesting that it only made page 5 of the
> Adelaide Advertiser.

Yes it is interesting that we are no longer very interested.  We have
become desensitised.  Didn't take long, now did it?
That is one of the major problems with legalising euthanasia, whether
voluntary or otherwise.  The thing becomes a commonplace, even almost
routine, and that's when people get sloppy.
They've got sloppy in The Netherlands.  All sorts of people are getting
killed over there whether they asked for it or not.  Do not tell me we
won't get sloppy here too.  The fact is that there has been sloppiness
going on here from the start.
Before the Act came into force there were seminars going on up here to
teach health people about its workings.  One thing they said was that
people who died by euthanasia could not be cremated without approval from
the Coroner because euthanasia is not a natural death.  I thought that was
at least one saving grace in the whole nasty business.  At least if there
was any funny business then the evidence wouldn't go straight up in smoke.
Well guess what!  Bob Dent was cremated minus a Coroner's inquest.  The
family just asked and some obliging person allowed the Cemeteries Act to be
put aside.  What's next to be found dispensable, do you think?  The
psychiatrist's signature?  The specialist's signature?  (And that's a
laugh.  The specialist can be an FRACGP.  Doesn't actually have to be an
oncologist, or even a physician.)  How about the patient's signature?
People have a right to kill themselves but I do not see that they have a
right to drag someone else into the business and contribute to the
hardening of that person's heart.  In particular they don't have a right to
endanger the rest of the community, because of health personnel getting
used to the idea of putting people down, merely to satisfy their own,
(maybe rational, maybe neurotic) wishes.
They want to die with dignity.  What does that mean?  As far as I can tell
it seems to mean dying looking as good as you can, between clean sheets,
with your family around you and maybe even flowers, music and soft
lighting.  In the end, if that is what it means, then the corollary must be
that every soldier, sailor, firefighter, etc., etc., who died with mangled
body covered in dirt and blood must have died undignified deaths despite
their efforts and their sacrifice.  
Interesting how words lose their meaning.
Janice M