Last night Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's political secretary, attended a meeting held by
ALERT, headed by Elspeth Chowdharay-Best, a redoubtable pro-life veteran who was one of the founders of SPUC. The meeting's guest speaker was
Wesley J. Smith (pictured), one of the world's leading anti-euthanasia experts. Anthony draws attention to the following points in Wesley's talk:
- it is ironic that the euthanasia and assisted suicide are being promoted at a time in history when palliative care is highly advanced
- the anti-euthanasia activism of disability rights campaigners gives the lie to the accusation that the anti-euthanasia campaign is really a religious agenda
- euthanasia and assisted suicide represent "a culture of abandoment"
- it is noticeable that there are fewer suicide prevention hotlines
- cited pro-euthanasia broadcaster Jenni Murray who is reported to have said that she "does not want to look after her sick and aging mother"; Mr Smith labelled this an example of today's "abandonment society"
- most of the people whose suicide was assisted by Jack Kevorkian had no physical ailment
- there is "suicide tourism to Switzerland"
- doctors who agree to assist suicide generally don't care if patient can be treated.
- the film Million Dollar Baby sends a message that people like Daniel James were right to kill themselves, a message of abandonment.
- the concept of a right to choose the time, manner and place of one's death is ideological, not a real human or civil right
- the two premises of euthanasia and assisted suicide are (1) radical individualism and (2) killing is an acceptable answer to human suffering
- there is "doctor-shopping" and "Kevorkianism" in Oregon
- 70%-80% of assised suicides in Oregon are facilitated by the Hemlock Society.
- the supposed safeguards on the assisted suicide law in Oregon are violated with impunity, and the safeguards are in reality all smoke-and-mirrors
- there are 900 cases of euthanasia without request or consent in the Netherlands every year, plus 80-90 cases of infanticide (eight percent of all deaths of born children)
