The right to life

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Council of Europe have stated that euthanasia and assisted suicide should be banned in every country in the Continent. The article states that an explicit condemnation of euthanasia was inserted into a non-binding resolution entitled: "Protecting human rights and dignity by taking into account previously expressed wishes of patients", a resolution which can be read here. Point 5 of the resolution states:

"This resolution is not intended to deal with the issues of euthanasia or assisted suicide. Euthanasia, in the sense of the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit, must always be prohibited. This resolution thus limits itself to the question of advance directives, living wills and continuing powers of attorney."

"alleged benefit"? If, as enshrined in Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has a right to life then is it not also their right if they wish to end that life? What this resolution is calling for is the blanket imposition of a denial to the right of individual choice for people - and those who voted for this are practising the art of dictatorship, no more no less. Not that this is anything new - deciding what people may or may not do would appear to be the sole reason politicians exist.


The people of country 'A' may decide that assisted suicide is permissible, while those in country 'B' may vote that it is not. People of country 'B' wishing to travel to country 'A' to exercise their right to terminate what is theirs - and theirs alone - should not be criminalised.


Just saying........