Dutch Euthanasia Society promoting euthanasia for people who are “tired of life”

Eugéne Sutorius, a leader of NVVE, a euthanasia lobby group in the Netherlands, is leading a new group of academics who are demanding the legalization of euthanasia for people who are not suffering or terminally ill but “tired of life.”

The group has launched a petition campaign whereby the hope to gather 40,000 signatures which is enough to have the issue debated in the Dutch parliament based on their citizens initiative legislation.

Euthanasia in the Netherlands is legal when the person is suffering physical or mental pain, is supposed freely consenting and two physicians have agreed.

The petition is asking the Dutch legislature to approve euthanasia for people who are over the age of 70 and “tired of life.”

As reported in DutchNews.nl former minister and feminist Hédy d’Ancona said the right to choose one’s time of death is a natural extension of her lifelong battle for emancipation.

Dick Swaab, a neurologist said death should be straightforward. In the animal kingdom, individuals are simply replaced, not patched up endlessly.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition recognizes that the ultimate end for the euthanasia lobby is to give physicians the right to directly and intentional cause a person's death for any reason. Legalizing euthanasia for people who are “tired of living” is also being promoted by Philip Nitschke, the leader of Exit International in Australia.

If Sutorius and his colleagues achieve their goal, euthanasia will clearly become the ultimate form of elder abuse.

Link to the article: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/02/tired_of_life_group_calls_for.php