- 'THE AGE' LETTERS 29/01/07 -
January 29, 2007
MY HEARTFELT congratulations to The Age for the foresight and courage to
highlight on Saturday's front page the moving story of the assisted suicide of
Dr John Elliot. The possibility of contracting a terminal disease at
some future time is statistically increasing with every passing year. While
still a reasonably healthy 77, the prospect is a very real horror to me, and
I am certainly not alone in feeling this way. The definite knowledge that I
will
not have to suffer a painful and pitifully prolonged terminal illness
would
make my remaining years much happier.
I had a painful operation on my spine some years ago and beside my bed
was a
button on the "drip"
stand that I could press at any time to obtain relief from the pain.
The
hospital staff remarked later that I hadn't used it much. It was the
fact
that it was there and available if required that enabled me to avoid using
it. Likewise, if I had a "peaceful pill" in my medicine cabinet it might
never be needed - but I would be so much happier to know it was there.
I detest the political mealy-mouthed "God-botherers" in Canberra who
dance
to the religious lobby's tune. It's my life, not theirs, and they
should
have the courtesy to allow me to make the final BIG decisions while I
am
able.
Don Flounders,
Warragul
THE suicide of Dr John Elliott is a tragedy for many reasons. That his
disease and his pain should have led him to believe that his life and
his
relationships were not worth living for is awful.
It is particularly concerning that the symptoms that Dr Elliott says
drove
him to suicide seem to have been treatable. His radiotherapy had
alleviated
his pain, allowing him to travel around Switzerland with his wife.
Perhaps
more terrible is that some should have sought to encourage his death to
further their aim of legalising assisted suicide in Australia.
Pain and sickness are common, and we must keep working to prevent, cure
and
manage them. But we should not think that suicide provides an
acceptable
solution to these problems. Overseas experience, notoriously in the
Netherlands, has shown clearly how legalising assisted suicide can lead
to a
"slippery slope" in determining who should die and an erosion of
confidence
in the health care system.
I thank God that we live in a country with enough compassion and sense
to
refuse to allow assisted suicide.
Dr Justin Denholm,
Brunswick West
FEW would deny that voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide are
"problematic" issues, but there is now enough evidence from around the
world
- including Oregon in the US, Belgium and the Netherlands - to show
that
assisted dying for terminally ill people can be legalised, under strict
guidelines, without jeopardising those who do not want this option
Even here in Australia, it was never suggested that the Northern
Territory's
Rights of the Terminally Ill Act resulted in abuse. The arguments by
opponents were based on the so-called "sanctity of life" - not on
proven
abuses of patients' rights or danger to the community. Once again,
religious
beliefs dictated our laws.
Kay Koetsier,
Seddon
A POINT that concerns me is how many people commit suicide - perhaps in
a
botched and painful amateur manner - before they really want to die
because
they are afraid that if they leave it longer, they may be adjudged
incapable
of making the decision or become physically incapable of making the
arrangements.
We can't all afford a trip to Switzerland with a medical and legal team
in
attendance to confirm our right - but we should be entitled to a
painless
death when we no longer wish to live.
Ken Day,
Nunawading
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