Health
Select Committee: ‘Petition of Hon Maryan Street and 8,974 others’
Submission
by Fr Marcus Francis of Palmerston North
General
Position: I am opposed to any legislation to legalise
assisted voluntary suicide in New Zealand
1. The factors that contribute to the
desire to end one’s life
The desire to end one’s
life is precisely that. It is not a thought out objective position based on all
available scientific evidence and a wider sense of the consequences such an
action will have for those closest to a person, the wider community or the
fundamental dignity and worth of human life. It is a desire arising perhaps out
of fear of pain or losing control of one’s life so as to be dependant on others.
Alternatively, it might arise from a conviction that it is a high value to be
in control of one’s body and destiny.
Whatever the motivation
it is inevitably a subjective impulse that necessarily focuses on an
individual. Yet, we know from the role of powers of attorney, the next of kin
and others who are consulted at various
stages in the life of someone, who may suffer from a serious mental or physical
illness, that the rights and obligations, including their fiduciary duties of
care for the particular individual and other subjects of care, are involved. These
people have desires too and the desire of one person to end his or her life can
run in conflict with the desires and self-awareness of others.
How can a medical and
care system sustain the contradiction of caring for others and yet being
potentially implicated in assenting to and assisting in their death? Hard cases
make bad law, That some people may place a high value on individual
determination and control over one’s time of death cannot and should not
compromise the absolute commitment of others who desire to do the best to assist
others who may suffer: mentally handicapped, maimed in war or accident,
mentally ill, affected by drug or alcohol dependancy, terminal illness,
vulnerable elderly, senile, unplanned births and many others. Many of these
cases are not able to adequately and clearly articulate their desires and are
often influenced by many different external factors. This also applies to their
carers who sometimes are consciously or subconsciously affected by their own
financial and emotional interests.
2. The effectiveness and support
available to those who desire to end their own lives
In my professional
capacity I have on many occasions visited Palmerston North Hospital and
Arohanui Hospice. The inhouse and residential care offered by these providers
is second to none. The dynamic which occurs as individuals receive care and
love from those who wish the best for them is edifying and a priceless part of
what makes our community a humane and giving society. If the individuals in
their care felt that there was the possibility that they should consider ending
their own life as an option with the assistance or approbation of others that
would compromise the relationship at a profound level. Mental and psychological
suffersing cannot be helped with painkillers but it is assuaged by love, care
and compassion. The value of every human life, regardless of public utility, must
be essential to makling our health system viable as a place for care rather
than management of who is of most use to a society driven solely by economic
imperatives.
3. The attitudes of New Zealanders
towards ending of one’s life and the current legal situation
The existence of the
petition clearly shows that some New Zealanders support voluntary euthanasia.
The media in general seems to assume it is only a matter of time before it is
legislated for in this country. Both of the former base their attitudes on an
unquestioning acceptance of radical individualism and a focus on tragic cases
of individuals afflicted with conditions that have lead them to want to take
their own lives. Both motivations are inadequate to deal with a complex society
where individuals expectations and self-worth are affected by the judgements of
others. The attitude that I have the right to take my own life and have others
condone it and even effect this outcome also speaks of my attitude towards the
lives of others. A person might say: “I think that I would take my own life in
this circumstance so why is it that you, who have such a condition, have not
taken yours?”. Individuals and carers will be brought to the point whereby they
feel they must justify why they are still alive when the option of ending life
is available to them. The obvious situation is that where the medical care or
ongoing support of an individual is costing either families or the state a
considerable amount of money. Just because someone in a certain situation feels
despair does not mean that another in similar circumstances would feel the same
way. Nevertheless, human reasoning tends to group like with like. The lack of an
absolute ban on voluntary euthanasia would adversely affect the perception of
other’s suffering as well as my own when it comes to the assessment of the
treatment and care plan to be provided. This would certainly be the case in the
lives of the most vulnerable categories of New Zealanders.
4. International experiences
I do not have any
special expertise or knowledge of the international experience of voluntary
euthanasia. All I see is that which is generally avaiable to anyone who reads
newspapers or consumes other media. It seems from this that the categories of
individuals and situations eligible for voluntary euthanasia, including those
made for individuals usually regarded as incapable of managing their own
affairs in other aspects of life, is gradually widened in ways that are truly
alarming. I recall that in 1975 it was thought that procured abortion would be
done in rare cases and that the safeguards given by the Legislature would
suffice to ensure that. We now have up to 18,000 abortions a year. What if we
were to have 18,000 voluntary assisted suicides a year? Can that outcome be
excluded by the Health Select Committee?
Would that be seen as desirable? The right to abortion, which trumps the right
to life of the child in the womb, is based on similar argumentation to the
right to take one’s own life, which trumps the dignity of life of all members
of the wider community. In Belgium it is sought to allow for children as young
as twelve to elect assisted suicide. Does the Committee desire that too? In New
Zealand we have children being taken out of school, without their parents
knowledge, to have procured abortions. Does the Legistaure think that a child
who wishes to die can have such a wish fulfilled over the objections by the child’s
parents. Maybe that can be done during a school lunch hour too? Is this
impossible? Overseas experiences shows us that such bizarre develpments cannot
be excluded for once a right is asserted the logical consequences of radical
individualism will occur regardless of the safeguards given by legislation.
In
conclusion, I assert my uncompromising and convinced
opposition to the legalising in any way of voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand.
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