Once again the issue of euthanasia has been thrust into the public arena for debate. This week Sean Davison pleaded guilty to a charge of inciting and procuring his mother’s attempted suicide. The Crown then withdrew the charge of attempted murder that Davison had previously been facing.
The stories that are used to illustrate the arguments for euthanasia are always engaging, and often heart wrenching. It is a natural response to not wish to see loved ones, or even perfect strangers suffer. In Davison’s case, his mother apparently had tried to starve herself to death, but had been unsuccessful. It is said that she was in pain and discomfort and had asked him to help her to die.
What society fails to recognise today, is that suffering (though difficult and painful both for the sufferer and those who stand by), can actually be useful. Suffering allows us to grow in maturity – if we let it.
Many however, choose to let the suffering take them over – which leads to self-absorption, anguish and despair. When this happens the sufferer no longer can see beyond themselves.
Family members and carers, compelled to ease the pain the other is under, can end up making decisions that ultimately implicate themselves in the ending of another’s life.
Quite simply euthanasia is murder. A false sense of compassion clouds the reasoning of society into thinking that euthanasia is actually a good. As each year passes and more and more pro-euthanasia stories are presented by the media, we need to speak up against it. If we don’t, we will find that one day sooner than we think, it will be legal to kill people who are dying, disabled or suffering.
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