Giving them reasons to live

I have just read an excellent article written by Michelle Martin in MercatorNet published on August 7, 2008

The article recounts Martin's experience with her sister who had attempted to kill herself on several occasions based on the fact that she was suffering from schizo-affected disorder.

Now that her sister is effectively medicated she has now been able to earn a diploma in psychosocial rehabilitation and is employed by a local mental health agency.

Martin then comments on her concerns related to the loosening of euthanasia and assisted suicide laws on a world-wide basis.

She comments on:
- The 79 year old woman in Germany who requested and received assisted suicide because she was lonely and feared ending up in a nursing home. Roger Kusch took advantage of her emotional state by filming and promoting her assisted suicide death.
- The Australian mother of 4, who was suffering from post-natal depression, obtained a suicide book from a library and followed the instructions and killed herself.
- The fact that a Swiss court allowed a man with bi-polar disorder to obtain an assisted suicide death.
- The fact that of the 49 people who died from assisted suicide in Oregon in 2007, none of them received a psychiatric or psychological assessment before being prescribed death.

Martin explains that if her sister had died that much would have been lost. Her sister's life always had intrinsic worth, and now she is giving back to the community.

We need to care for people, not kill them.

Link to the article:
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/giving_them_reasons_to_live/