| Euthanasia
End-of-life issues are ones
which we all will have to face at some point in our own life
or in the lives of our loved ones. The treatment of the sick
and the dying is one which is becoming more complicated due
to advances in medical treatment and our increasing life expectancy.
The concepts involved can be extended into debate on the treatment
of people with disability, and as complicated as it may be,
is one which must be founded in the principles of justice,
dignity and compassion.
We must always be mindful of the dignity of
the human person, the equality of all members of the human
family and our responsibility to those in our community in
need of care and assistance.
Books
Forced Exit by Wesley
J Smith.
This book is fantastic for its depth in dealing
with recent court cases across the world dealing with this
issue.
Deadly Compassion by Rita
J Marker
Marker, the president of the International Task
force against Euthanasia, writes compellingly about her experiences
with Anne Humphreys, the co-founder of the Hemlock Society
(now known as the Right-to-Die Society). Anne Humphreys, after
many years of meeting Marker while campaigning on different
sides of this issue, was diagnosed with breast cancer and
then abandoned by those close to her, including Richard Humphreys
(her husband and present president of the Right-to Die Society)
when she decided to fight the cancer. The only person that
Anne could turn to was Rita Marker, her opponent. This is
a moving portrait of an unusual friendship and of the cold
cruelty of euthanasia. This very personal account is one of
the strongest and saddest arguments against euthanasia.
Both of these books are available from Dublin
Corporation Public Library, Easons or if you're really nice
to me, I might lend you my treasured copy.
Articles
Euthanasia
and Assisted Suicide: Seven reasons why they should not be
legalized
Euthanasia;
Unpacking the Debate
By Luke Gormally of the The
Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics in the UK. Excellent.
A
Feminist Case Against Euthanasia from The
Feminism and Nonviolence Studies Association Journal
Ethical
Issues in Palliative Care-Index
This is a list of articles available on International
Association for Hospice and Palliative Care site. They
are very good from a medical perspective and The
Legalisation of Euthanasia is worth reading.
The following documents are all from the Linacre
Centre
The
BMA Report on Euthanasia and the Case Against Legalization
Withdrawing
and Withholding Treatment
Legislating
for Advance Refusals of Treatment: What is at issue?
Human
Dignity, Autonomy and Mentally Incapacitated Persons
'Ordinary'
and 'extraordinary' means of prolonging life
Submission
to the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Medical Ethics
- Contents and Introduction
Human
Dignity and Respect for the Elderly
The
UK definition of death
The following articles are from the International
Task Force
Euthanasia
in the Netherlands A portrayal of the lack of real alternatives
offered in the Netherlands.
FAQs about Euthanasia
Inequities in Health Care
Medical
Killing in England - Shipman
Words,
Words, Words
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