Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
The feeling of loneliness and abandonment often leads to further feelings of hopelessness and depression.
According to a recent study by the British euthanasia lobby group Dying in Dignity, 32% of British people who were surveyed (2,246 adults) stated that their greatest fear about dying was being alone.
Why is it that the fear of dying alone is precipitating an interest in euthanasia or assisted suicide?
I am convinced that a caring culture is the antidote to a culture of death. People need to care for the other, to journey with, or "be with" the other in their time of need.
When people feel alone and lonely they often become depressed and vulnerable. These people need to be supported and protected, not offered death.
The Dying in Dignity study should concern us that if euthanasia were legal that people might be killed because they felt abandoned and alone with no reason to live.
We need to become a caring society that care for people, and not kill them.
See article Dying alone 'greatest fear' - poll
"Everyone, particularly those living alone, must have the option of a personalised end-of-life care plan and advance decision in order to communicate their preferences for treatment and care."
ReplyDeleteMaybe!--Maybe not! The only reason we are at such a stage today concerning end of life controls, is because of Right-to-Die fear-mongers! When people are older, what they should be free to do is enjoy the rest of their life, as it always was throughout history. This is just my opinion, and what I experienced with my sweet wife in her final days, even though she died young.
Alex, I think this lady is a little cookoo! For one thing, older people should not have to live alone, and live in the fear of dying alone.
A hundred years ago older parents lived with at least one of their own children's familiy. Although Baby-Boomer controlled society has abandoned such accomodation of parents in their old age, this is a solution and a rehabilitation of social-engineering which needs to take place.
"The survey also found that the fear of dying alone is stronger in younger people - the answer being selected by 38% of 18 to 24s and 37% of 25s to 34s, compared with 27% of those aged 45 to 54."
This above excerpt speaks loud and clear, also. One reason so many polls have higher support for legalizing euthanasia in one form or another, is because they go after the people with the least experience and knowledge of such issues.
It's just plain and simple scare tactics, to psychologically traumatize a category of people whose main concentration needs to stay on "living their life", not being scared into answering pollsters about issues they can't even be expected to answer on.--Yet it's false statistics like they gather this way, which gains more figures to use in formulating policies.
"I am convinced that a caring culture is the antidote to a culture of death. People need to care for the other, to journey with, or "be with" the other in their time of need."
I really like the way you put it. Caring about other people is the antidote to the culture of death. Caring vs. selfish killing. The Culture of Life is a separate culture, and it can get bigger and better than the Culture of Death.
Francine Lalonde claims that so many Quebecois are in serious need of help to die. Everybody knows where the hospitals are, and if they can't find doctors who are willing to kill them, their medical condition must not be bad enough.
For some of these people who claim to have cancer, Nancy Crick was a big-shot Aussie brave martyr for their cause a few years ago. It turned out thatshe never had cancer at all, and those Australian chapter of Right-to-Die weren't even embarrassed for killing her.