Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Dutch Ethicist Raises Alarm Over Euthanasia

This particularly struck me: 


You must realize that a growing number of the Dutch are saying: for me going to a care institution would equate with unbearable suffering. I’m worried about that. Care facilities are not getting any better. You’d say: if a care facility is a reason for people to get euthanasia, then you should do something about care facilities. If we don’t have the means to do that, then I’m afraid that in 2030 a large number of euthanasias will be performed because people are in deadly fear of the care facility,” he warned.

When you make something as subjective as a feeling, like suffering, the criteria for euthanasia, it lends itself to a slippery slope.

Suffering is a reaction. You can suffer in the face of any kind of situation, and claim it's unbearable.

But so what? It's only human life.