David Smith and Daniel
Boffey Observer/UK 12 July 2014
Archbishop calls for 'mind shift' on right to die and condemns as 'disgraceful' the treatment of the dying Nelson Mandela
Desmond Tutu, one of the world's most eminent religious
leaders, has made an extraordinary intervention in the debate over assisted
death, by backing the right of the terminally ill to end their lives in
dignity.
Tutu, who calls for a "mind shift" in the right to die debate,
writes: "I have been fortunate to spend my life working for dignity for
the living. Now I wish to apply my mind to the issue of dignity for the dying.
I revere the sanctity of life – but not at any cost."
On Saturday the former archbishop of Canterbury Lord (George) Carey spoke out in favour of the bill. But in an
article in the Times, Justin Welby, the current archbishop and head of the Church
of England, reaffirmed the church's traditional hostility to any move that
would endanger the principle of the sanctity of life. Tutu notes that
Falconer's bill will be debated on Mandela Day, which would have been the 96th
birthday of South Africa's first black president. He calls for his own country
to follow Britain's lead in examining a change in the law.
"On Mandela Day we will be thinking of a great man," he
writes. "On the same day, on 18 July 2014 in London, the House of Lords
will be holding a second hearing on Lord Falconer's bill on assisted dying.
Oregon, Washington, Quebec, Holland, Switzerland have already taken this step.
South Africa has a hard-won constitution that we are proud of that should
provide a basis to guide changes to be made on the legal status of end-of-life
wishes to support the dignity of the dying."
Falconer's proposals are being fiercely opposed by key figures such as
Welby, and campaigners for the rights of disabled people. Richard Hawkes, chief
executive of the disability charity Scope, said he feared the bill would put
some people under pressure to end their lives. He said: "Why is it that
when people who are not disabled want to commit suicide, we try to talk them
out of it, but when a disabled person wants to commit suicide, we focus on how
we can make that possible?"
In his article for the Observer, Tutu says that he has been moved
by the case of a 28-year-old South African, Craig Schonegevel, who suffered
from neurofibromatosis and felt forced to end his life by swallowing 12
sleeping pills and tying two plastic bags around his head with elastic bands
because doctors could not help him.
Tutu writes: "Some say that palliative care, including the giving
of sedation to ensure freedom from pain, should be enough for the journeying
towards an easeful death. Some people opine that with good palliative care
there is no need for assisted dying, no need for people to request to be
legally given a lethal dose of medication. That was not the case for Craig
Schonegevel. Others assert their right to autonomy and consciousness – why exit
in the fog of sedation when there's the alternative of being alert and truly
present with loved ones?"
He also discloses that he has now had a conversation with his family
about his own death. "I have come to realise that I do not want my life to
be prolonged artificially," he writes. "I think when you need
machines to help you breathe then you have to ask questions about the quality
of life being experienced and about the way money is being spent. This may be
hard for some people to consider.
"But why is a life that is ending being prolonged? Why is money
being spent in this way? It could be better spent on a mother giving birth to a
baby, or an organ transplant needed by a young person. Money should be spent on
those that are at the beginning or in full flow of their life. Of course, these
are my personal opinions and not of my church."
"People should die a decent death," he continues. "For me
that means having had the conversations with those I have crossed with in life
and being at peace. It means being able to say goodbye to loved ones – if possible,
at home." He adds: "I can see I would probably incline towards the
quality of life argument, whereas others will be more comfortable with
palliative care. Yes, I think a lot of people would be upset if I said I wanted
assisted dying. I would say I wouldn't mind, actually."
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/12/desmond-tutu-assisted-dying-right-to-die-nelson-mandela
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