Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Euthanasia to relieve suffering?

By Erik Leipoldt - posted Monday, 28 June 2010


An ethics of care first pays attention to the need underlying the request. It is a participative two-way relationship with, in this case, a terminally ill patient. Care involves being with the suffering person, using thoughtful communication, trust, love, respect, and even humour, preserving meaning and purpose in the end stage of life, often seen as meaningless in our rational world.

So, why not have both options: palliative care and euthanasia? Perhaps we could, in a society where care is endemic, reserving euthanasia for those few cases where unbearable pain may not be otherwise relieved. We should let such a future society, in its practice-of-care-based wisdom, decide that question. In our utilitarian consumer society, state-sanctioned euthanasia carries risks of serious misuse, as long as most of us continue to devalue aged, frail, and highly dependent people who embody those parts of the human condition that we do not like.

Parliament should reject this Bill as an inappropriate route to relief of suffering. But if it does it should also examine its own health care policies and practices as potential contributors to requests for euthanasia. How to treat every life as valuable and deliver excellent care? How to strengthen palliative care? If we paid attention to human needs at every turn; took responsibility for them; did so competently and in participation with patients, then what would that look like? A more caring society.

Advertisement

It has been said that the character of a nation is revealed in the way it treats its most vulnerable people. Terminally ill people certainly are vulnerable and that includes those affected by a slippery slope of euthanasia legislation. Bills such as this one are opportunities towards shaping the character of the nation in which we want to live.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

15 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Dr Erik Leipoldt is a Dutch-born Australian. He acquired his disability of quadriplegia in 1978, which first prompted his long-term involvement in disability advocacy and advocacy development. He is a past chair of the WA Disability Services Advisory Committee, and member of various former government disability policy advisory committees, including the Disability Advisory Council of Australia. He is a past convenor of the Australian Advocacy Network and past Executive Officer of People With Disabilities WA. He was a Member of the former Guardianship and Administration Board WA and is currently a Senior Sessional Member of the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia. Erik is known as an author of many articles, commenting from a disability perspective. His PhD thesis (2003) was entitled "Good life in the balance: a cross-national study of Dutch and Australian disability perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide." His main current interest is how disability experience may provide a practical guiding story to a sustainable world. He is an Adjunct Lecturer with the Centre for Research into Disability and Society, Curtin University of Technology, WA.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Erik Leipoldt

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Erik Leipoldt
Article Tools
Comment 15 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy