The Dutch euthanasia lobby makes plans to compete with Dignitas

An article published in the Dutch news explains that the Dutch association Right to Die (NVVE) is investigating opening an assisted suicide clinic for people who do not currently qualify under the Dutch euthanasia law.

The article states:

NVVE director Petra de Jong told the Volkskrant, 'but one that misses out patients with dementia or chronic psychiatric problems with a serious wish to die.'

Around 500 of these patients request assisted suicide each year and only eight are helped to die.

In other words, the new clinic would focus on people with dementia or chronic psychiatric problems, and possibly other difficult situations.

But why would NVVE need to establish a suicide clinic for these difficult cases?

First: Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas has proven that there is incredible profit in running a suicide clinic. Link to my previous blog comment on this fact: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/06/dignitas-founder-ludwig-minelli-is-now.html

Second: In 2006 at the World Federation of Right to Die Societies conference in Toronto, the then leader of the NVVE stated that their final goal was the legalization of the "last-will-pill". This is would be a suicide drug that could be taken by people who have decided that they have had enough of life.

I think that this clinic would be used for situations, including people who are "tired of living".

In other words, the clinic would be very profitable and it would allow the NVVE to push the thin boundaries of the law and possibly gain acceptance for the "last-will-pill".

The clinic would also enable NVVE to maintain a stronger membership base. Dignitas sells memberships with the membership fee giving them the right to use the clinic. If NVVE followed the same system they would increase their membership fee and ensure that people renewed their membership on a yearly basis.

Finally, if euthanasia and assisted suicide is about choice, then why would the NVVE be so concerned about arranging the deaths of people who are not capable of choosing?

This is obviously not an issue of choice. This is an issue of how society agrees to kill or cause the death of people based on whether society or the individual deems their life as not worth living.

Link to the original article: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/08/suicide_clinic_a_possibility.php