Heathens with hearts
Heathens with hearts
October 09, 2008
Section: Opinion
A NUMBER of years ago I was invited into the world of an articulate, passionate woman whose husband had died just six months prior.
She invited me to report on her husband’s story for the publication I was working for at the time – to tell the story of how he travelled to Switzerland and allowed himself to be filmed while ingesting a fatal dose of Nebutal.
The experience was a happy one for the woman, because it ended years of horrific pain for her husband – and also because she respected his choice, and respected his life enough to allow it to end with an act of grace, composure and personal autonomy.
Recent publicity surrounding the euthanasia debate included a poignant comment by an advocate for our right to die with dignity, who pointed out that if a dog were suffering unspeakable pain or trauma, we would not hesitate to end its misery.
Conversely, the law fails to extend that same degree of compassion to human beings.
Opponents of euthanasia may, or may not, have a valid argument.
But irrespective of their motivation, how do they presume to have the right to make another human being suffer?
Many put it down to religion.
Everyone has a different idea of God, and God means many things to many people – even those who share a religious creed.
But if the choice to be religious is boiled down to the worship of a higher being who is supposedly devoid of compassion and empathy – then perhaps it is better to be a non-believing heathen who holds onto one’s heart and one’s sense of humanity.
– Amanda Beadman
- Oct 17, 2008 @ 01:04am
We as a community still live in a very parochial outdated mentality especially in certain sectors of Wollongong and its surroundings, This very limited attitude still astounds me in this day and age Unfortunately I am embarrassed as a Sydney expatriate I did't expect it to be easy settling in to a seaside village However I was not prepared for the village idiots to be in their thousands The problem as I see it with "the finger pointers" it is that they really have been severely stunted in there developement and life skills and are just a bunch of hokie cowards waiting for someone too come along and show them how to be a human being's They have lost the art of living compassionately and with empathy and are usually hiding behind christian wives waiting to plot there next heinous move
Comment count: 2
Having read the terrible account about the young girl who was diagnosed with an incurable cancer at age 15 and was forced to die a shocking death after 5 years of horrible suffering I wonder just what sort of person could possibly sentence her to such a fate . Especially so as she had begged to be allowed to die -" help me I am not the sort of persion who has the strength to take this sort of suffering . But Oh no ! they forced her to suffer right up until the very end- coughing up her own faecies. Would they really allow their favourite pet to suffer in the is way ? If they still have these terrible laws in place and I am forced to chose a violent death I when the time comes I might just take a couple of these with me !