The Sides
End My Life, It's My Choice
Tony Nicklinson: a 58-year old man who described his own life as a "living nightmare". He suffered from a locked-in stroke in 2005, paralyzing his entire body and only leaving his conscious alive. When faced with these pains of being barely alive, Mr. Nicklinson did not give up the hope of ending these pain–through a quick and easy death.
Communicating with the outer world only by blinking his eye, Tony Nicklinson launched a challenge the law for "the opportunity to take the necessary steps to end his own life."
On August 12, 2012, the results of the High Court case proved that all battles were useless, it had been ruled against to provide an assisted death for Tony Nicklinson. "After Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him."
Shortly a week after, Tony Nicklinson died a slow, painful, death. He refused food for a week.
Many people, young and old, suffer from incurable sicknesses like Mr. Nicklinson does, wanting to end their miserable lives but not able to. Is this right? Is this moral? The end may seem near, but every day is eternal.
Tony Nicklinson: a 58-year old man who described his own life as a "living nightmare". He suffered from a locked-in stroke in 2005, paralyzing his entire body and only leaving his conscious alive. When faced with these pains of being barely alive, Mr. Nicklinson did not give up the hope of ending these pain–through a quick and easy death.
Communicating with the outer world only by blinking his eye, Tony Nicklinson launched a challenge the law for "the opportunity to take the necessary steps to end his own life."
On August 12, 2012, the results of the High Court case proved that all battles were useless, it had been ruled against to provide an assisted death for Tony Nicklinson. "After Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him."
Shortly a week after, Tony Nicklinson died a slow, painful, death. He refused food for a week.
Many people, young and old, suffer from incurable sicknesses like Mr. Nicklinson does, wanting to end their miserable lives but not able to. Is this right? Is this moral? The end may seem near, but every day is eternal.
“I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there.”
–– Pamela Bone
What about the family? The friends? The beliefs?
Thou shall not kill: the 6th of the 10 commandments in the bible. A holy rule that Christians and Jews, different religions and beliefs, all believe to be a moral basis. No matter how, by persuasion or assisting directly, helping a living being die is unforgivable, and a sin.
Former Chief Rabbi of England, Dr Immanuel Jakobovits explains, "Cripples and idiots, however incapacitated, enjoy the same human rights as normal persons... One human life is as precious as a million lives, for each is infinite in value."
In many countries, committing suicide is counted as murder, and those associated with the matter will face criminal charges. By what means should it be different for an assisted suicide? Even now, when a human deceases through a physician, its own family members face charges. When the pain is brought away from one person, its entire family now need to suffer in its place.
Thou shall not kill: the 6th of the 10 commandments in the bible. A holy rule that Christians and Jews, different religions and beliefs, all believe to be a moral basis. No matter how, by persuasion or assisting directly, helping a living being die is unforgivable, and a sin.
Former Chief Rabbi of England, Dr Immanuel Jakobovits explains, "Cripples and idiots, however incapacitated, enjoy the same human rights as normal persons... One human life is as precious as a million lives, for each is infinite in value."
In many countries, committing suicide is counted as murder, and those associated with the matter will face criminal charges. By what means should it be different for an assisted suicide? Even now, when a human deceases through a physician, its own family members face charges. When the pain is brought away from one person, its entire family now need to suffer in its place.
"Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. There may be legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not... with regard to abortion and euthanasia." –Pope Benedict XVI