A couple of thoughts on Voluntary Euthanasia
There is debate and social media attention around the issue of Voluntary Euthanasia at present and this has me thinking about the complex issues involved.
My intent here is not to address all or even many aspects of the debate, I am just noting a couple of thoughts on the matter that might give pause to those in the discussion.
The first is to note that a large amount of those involved in the debate are not currently facing the circumstances which legislation would be aimed at. Some involved are. Many involved will be so as they know someone who is or was in this situation. Most legal frameworks are not written up by those who is directly affected, but neither are they dealing with the taking of a life. This is to say that we should be taking this quite slowly.
Secondly, this debate seems to cut across many other narratives in our society. We celebrate pain and suffering… when it is a part of our athlete’s story. But is there nothing heroic in these people’s journey? We talk about ending their suffering, but might it be more about tidying up this horror that confronts us - that of death.
My main concern with the debate is that it makes a simple assumption.
The taking of the person’s life presumes that nothing of value could happen in that person’s life between that time and whenever they would die.
And I don’t think that anyone can reasonably argue that they know that nothing of value will happen.