ASSISTED SUICIDE… How justified is EUTHANASIA?
By Jacqui Iwu
(jackie@sunnewsonline.com)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
When deadly diseases and sicknesses strike, it gets to a stage the patient
or sufferer gets tired of being alive and wishes to be dead. There are diseases
that kill painfully slowly making the sufferer and loved ones miserable and sad.
We know about cancer, full blown Aids, extreme cases of blood and liver diseases
etc.
Sick or not sick, if allowed by out creator, some of us would probably
love to choose how and when to kiss life good-bye but, that is strictly left for
the BIG BOSS upstairs to decide and there is absolutely nothing any of us can
do about it than to prepare and always get ready for it.
The invitation card
you are staring at here was a real death invitation card by a 74 year-old prostrate
cancer patient in the Isle of Man. He, knowing that he had few years to live,
decided to plan his death along side his wife and to die in a dignified way. “I
have had enough! I should have the right to say goodbye properly to my family
and friends and die in a dignified way” he said.
Such attitude is
not very common to us in this part of the world but it could still be happening
but people do not say such things loud here. We still have people here who are
not suffering from sickness but still commit suicide due to one life threatening
problem or the other. That apart, the one I am concerned about is the idea of
a sick person suffering so much without any hope of survival. Is it fair for such
a person to ask a doctor to help him/her die peacefully?
It is a very
complicated issue, isn’t it? Some things come into play here when such an
issue is raised. Family members, religious belief and post emotional condition
of the doctor who is to administer the killer medication. This might sound awkward
but those who have witnessed daily, a very sick person in excruciating pains without
hope of survival understands quite well what am talking about.
In taking
such a tough decision, the sufferer who cannot bear the pains and want to depart
fast has nothing to regret because in most cases, the sufferer demand for “physician
– assisted suicide”. To such a person, life means nothing any longer
so, what is the need suffering and after it, death still come. To the family members
it will create a very controversial situation. On the part of the physicians,
such issue might not really be a big issue once they get a go ahead order from
both the patient and family members. If they are pushed to hasten the death of
a patient, all they do is to carry out their patient’s final wishes not
that they enjoy doing it but, they just have to do it. It is like helping the
suffering patient and his/her family members have peace of mind.
Now if
you put this across to people with very strong theological belief, it is a no
go area for we the humans have no right to terminate life no matter what. It is
“un-Christian” to those of us who are Christians. I do not know much
about the Islamic faith towards such issues. Some Christians will tell you that,
there could be a miracle and the person recover so, why kill him/her forcefully
or will I say untimely?
However, countries abroad who indulge freely in
such practices do so under legislative law. Voluntary Euthanasia must be legalized
or else the family members or associate of the sufferer could turn back and fight
the doctor involved. So such doctors in such countries can assist patients die
without fear of recrimination. Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and American
State of Oregon are some places where Voluntary Euthanasia is legalized.
No
matter how we all look at it, it is a strange world!
Different strokes
for different folks! We all must die someday and whether terminally sick or not,
if you have been living a positive life, you should not be afraid of death but
should always prepare and do things that polishes and cleanses your spiritual
being so that any time it knocks at your door, you will be courageous enough and
not being sad to join your creator. The more spiritually prepared you are, the
happier you would be facing death voluntary or not!!
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A clean spirit does not fear death.