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Let them die with dignity

Someone I know is a tough gentleman. He spent 17 years in the French army as a paratrooper serving in some quite unpleasant places dealing with some extremely unpleasant people. He now works for the police in a Third-World country where the ‘bad guys’ really are pretty bad and will do anything to avoid going to prison as the prisons not like the luxury hotel-like prisons we have in Britain.

His mother got dementia in her late sixties. She is now in a private care home, is doubly incontinent, cannot walk or talk, cannot feed herself and cannot recognise either her husband or her son. When she is awake, she just sits in a chair staring blankly at the wall. However, as she is now only 75, her body could go on like this for many more years. This situation is devastating her family emotionally, psychologically and financially. And what’s the point? What’s the point of her carrying on living? But as euthanasia is illegal in France the family can do nothing.

Until last weekend, I’ve never really bothered thinking too much about life and death and all that serious kind of stuff. But as doctors cure ever more physical diseases while making little progress on deterioration of the brain, we need to start questioning at what point life should be allowed to end.

As far as I can see, we should start considering permitting euthanasia in certain situations.

For example, we could have some kind of “Quality of Life” assessment. So, if someone cannot feed themselves, cannot talk, cannot walk, cannot recognise their own family and is doubly incontinent, then they would get a pretty low “Quality of Life” score. Then when anyone scores below a certain level, the family should be allowed to let them ‘do a Dignitas’.

Of course, there need to be safeguards to prevent the “Quality of Life” assessment system being abused.

But our current practice of preserving life at all costs is clearly unsuited to today’s situation where many thousands of people exist as helpless, hopeless vegetables without the slightest chance of any improvement in their condition.

Our laws are now lagging far behind medical progress and need to be changed.

3 comments to Let them die with dignity

  • Chris

    Remember Shipman?

  • Libtard

    Congratulations, Mr. Craig, with this post you are now officially a Libtard. At least, that’s what you would be classified as if you were living here in America.

    Let me refresh your memory. The Republican party under Trump is ultra-Xtian and they believe in the “sacredness of life” from outlawing abortions, doing away with birth control…and keeping dying people alive (even if they’re brain-dead or nearly there).

    They wouldn’t even let my mother die after she was technically brain dead in a coma! They took her off total life support and she still lived, gasping for air for an extended period of time! In all that time they wouldn’t let me put a pillow over her head. For that would be “murder” to these doctors!

    Trump and the other Conservatives in this country not only support Big Medical but Big Pharma and all Big Corporations. Coincidentally Trump is a Billionaire and he has filled his cabinet with like-minded Goldman-Craps Billionaires, all with the save ultra-conservative Xtian worldview of supporting the top 1%.

    It’s the Left who support euthanasia in America.
    It’s the Right who want to keep the dying alive to suck their wallets and purses dry to the very last breath.

  • M Payton

    Hi David,Being a member of Exit I strongly support your views. What quality of life do these people have. I hope to be able to do away with myself at the earliest diagnosis of dementia, if I get it – like the well known author Terry Pratchett did. Why this ‘life at all costs” crap, when it’s means continued indignity, and mental and possibly physical suffering for the victim, and emotional and financial stress for the relatives.
    Btw, I do have a problem with you dividing the political world into two. I believe in Government welfare for those genuinely disadvantaged, a free national health service for everyone, state owned essential services and equal rights for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, age or marital status. I also believe in looking after our natural environment and other species.
    On the other hand I support your views on migration and am happy to describe myself as an Islamophobe. I regard Islam as a totalitarian ideology. I also believe in greater discipline in schools and the importance of literacy and numeracy. I do not believe in affirmative action re entry to university, on boards etc, although I would support remedial education for younger students not doing so well. I am not ashamed to be patriotic and support Mr Trumps stance against the black NFL footballers who kneeled during the US national anthem. Other than that and his views on Moslem immigration, I am not a supporter Trump, especially of his appointments, who favour the interests of big corporations against those of the average person. I believe in some kind of compulsory national service for all young adults, not necessarily of a military nature, but with the same level of discipline.
    So – in some ways I tend to be left, on some matters I am on the right and on others right in the middle. I think that there are many others like me and it’s a shame that you display a tendency towards dichotomous thinking in your articles. Just some feedback for you to consider.

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