British neurosurgeon laughs at past remarks about 'grannies... bullied into' suicide
British neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh is under fire for shocking remarks he made about "sacrificing grannies" to push for the legalization of assisted suicide in the United Kingdom.
Key Takeaways:
During a parliamentary hearing, Dr. Henry Marsh laughed off previous comments in which he discussed "sacrificing grannies" so that "people could die with dignity."
He appeared to regret that the comments had been made public, but did not apologize for them.
He also called assisted dying a form of "treatment" for suffering, and suggested legalizing euthanasia before determining if people with disabilities are being "disproportionately hurt."
The Details:
During a recent Parliamentary committee hearing, Marsh was asked about his previous comments, in which he advocated for 'assisted dying.' Made in 2017, his remarks also insulted Christians, whom he blamed for fighting previous legislation to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. According to the Daily Mail, he told The Times:
The contributions from the anti-euthanasia people the last time it was debated in parliament were abysmal.
One bloody woman MP claimed the drugs were very unpleasant. That's a complete lie. So much of it is all bloody Christians.
They argue that grannies will be made to commit suicide. Even if a few grannies get bullied into it, isn't that a price worth paying for all the people who could die with dignity?
Instead of apologizing for the crass remarks — especially those regarding coercing 'grannies' — Marsh simply said he "wished he hadn't said it."
"It was very stupid of me and I didn't realize it was going to get into the public domain," he remarked.
However, he then chuckled as he doubled down on his insistence that some coercion is fine, as long as people are allowed to intentionally kill themselves with the blessing and assistance of the government:
☠️SINISTER: DOCTOR LAUGHS ABOUT SACRIFICING GRANNIES!
Dr Marsh chuckles about his past comment that “sacrificing grannies” is worth it if it allows assisted suicide to be legalised. He seemingly only regrets it as he “didn’t realise it would get into the public domain”. Awful!
"The principle is there is always a cost. Every time I operated, and it was not a theoretical risk, you can make things worse but you justify that risk by saying more people benefit. It sounds rather inhumane and utilitarian, but that is the reality of normal medical practice," he said.
During the hearing, Marsh also called assisted dying "a form of treatment for suffering," insisting that data could be collected after euthanasia's legalization to determine if "disabled people were being disproportionately hurt."
🚨Pro-assisted suicide doctor Henry Marsh: Assisted suicide should be legalised, and then we can collect the data to see if "disabled people are being disproportionately hurt".
By that point, it's a little too late...
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, blasted Marsh's "deeply inappropriate comment," noting that he did not retract his original statement.
"Instead, he laughed, merely expressing regret that his comment made it into the public domain," she said. "This utilitarian thinking, where the protection that is owed to elderly people and sick and dying people is sacrificed for some alleged greater good, is typical of the extreme views many supporters of assisted suicide hold."
Barrister Barbara Rich also took issue with the comments, saying, "So it is fine for influential people to privately advocate for a change in the law under which vulnerable people will foreseeably come to harm, and their only regret is that their thoughts are made public?"
The Bottom Line:
Marsh's comments solidly confirm what so many disability rights groups and anti-euthanasia advocates are warning about: coercion, especially among vulnerable populations, is a real threat should the nation legalize euthanasia. All human lives are valuable and deserve protection.
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