Rachel,
Gordon's entitlement to share his closely argued and clearly expressed
email, it appears based in his own personal experience and (contrary to your
assertions) in my view backed by experience of many other Disabled People,
isn't only justified (let alone his 'right') it is much needed. There is
(in real life) enormous pressure upon many many Disabled People to 'end our
lives'. The notion that our lives are 'unworthy of life' didn't expire
either with Hitler or with those enthusiasts of euthanasia, the founders of
the Fabians Society (such as HG Wells and the Webbs)
http://www.secondspring.co.uk/articles/sparkes.htm Eugenics even survived
in post-war Europe, killing off the "feeble-minded" was a Government
Sponsored activity as late as 1970 (see above link for references in France
and Norway to name but two).
Australian research http://www.humanvaluesaust.iinet.net.au/EUTHANASIA.html
provides but one example of evidence that pressure to kill off Disabled
People undermines funding for palliative medicine, (seen as a useless waste
of resources by some who argue that states should not 'prop up' those whose
life would otherwise come to a "natural end"). Equating terminally ill
Disabled People to stricken animals" who should be "put down" is far from
being a myth. This is precisely the kind of terminology used by leading
advocates of euthanasia such as Nazi survivor Peter Singer and the
unlamented Jack Kevorkian.
I am not an academic. I am a Disabled Activist with a point of view based
in my experience and in the experiences of many other activists. I think I
have a right to that point of view! However, browsing the British medical
Journal of January this year (as one does!) I see an article analysing the
weaknesses in the Dutch euthanasia law. It looks at how guidelines used by
doctors are blurred and currently allow for and in fact encourage the
killing of Disabled People in circumstances (supposedly) not envisaged by
the law makers.
http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/1/35.full?sid=b099b8c2-33a2-448e-beb1-cd1c6620
ca2b I hope this link works but if not I am sure those with (free online)
access to academic journals will be able to send a better one. This edition
focuses upon ethics and contains a number of articles with useful,
up-to-date evidence which confirms that our fears of a slippery slope are
extremely well founded. See also from the BMJ
http://jme.bmj.com/search?fulltext=euthanasia&sendit=Enter&volume=38&issue=1
&submit=yes
Best wishes,
Mike Higgins
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Best wishes,
Mike Higgins,
Email: [log in to unmask]
Address: 1 Portland Court, Sheffield, S6 3EW, UK.
Tel (voice and, by prior arrangement, fax): +44 (0) 114 2258676
Mobile: +44 (0) 7956 856060
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