A British television presenter has written how caring for his sick mother has led to his opposition to euthanasia. Charles Ottley has cared for 14 years for his mother, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mr Ottley wrote: "I can tell you that after years of caring for my grievously ill mother, I am more opposed to euthanasia than ever ... Mum devoted 18 years of her existence to me when I was growing up. Life may deal us some tough choices, but putting my life on hold to care for my mother has never been one of them."It is a tribute to Mr Ottley that he has the wisdom and maturity to understand and follow our human nature. While our first instincts are often to flinch at the burdens of suffering, our deeper instincts move us to sacrifice some of the control we have over our lives. Assisted suicide and euthanasia fail at the first hurdle of suffering, by abandoning the vulnerable and rejecting true compassion. "Compassion" comes from the Latin words cum pati, which mean "to suffer with".
So please show your solidarity with the vulnerable and your belief in true compassion by contacting members of the House of Lords today, urging them to reject pro-suicide amendments to the Coroners and Justice bill. Please read and act upon SPUC's action alerts of 29 May and 5 June.
