I urge you to read the succinct, enlightening, tragic letter from Charles J. Bentz, a physician practising medicine in Oregon, published by Times Colonist, an on-line Canadian journal. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. In brief, Dr Bentz's patient, being treated for cancer, became depressed. Dr Bentz's letter concludes: "In most jurisdictions, suicidal ideation is interpreted as a cry for help. In Oregon, the only help my patient got was a lethal prescription intended to kill him. Don't make Oregon's mistake."
Earlier this month I
wrote about Dr Philip Nitschke, the president of
Exit International. He was touring the UK leading public meetings and seminars, focusing on advising people how they can commit suicide using a wide range of methods.
Paul Smeaton, my son, attended his public meeting in London Paul and wrote his observations of the meeting (
part 1,
part II).
Whilst what Paul reports is truly shocking, Dr Bentz's letter underlines the truth of what Wesley Smith, the stalwart anti-euthanasia bioethicist, says about Dr Nitschke and his promotion of suicide methods, not just for the terminally-ill but for anyone:
" ... Nitschke appears to be on the radical edge of the assisted suicide movement - but he's really not."
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk 
