A ‘celebrity doctor’ in the UK is making headlines for claiming that if the UK does not legalize assisted suicide, it will send the nation ‘back to the Dark Ages.’
He described the prescribing of deadly drugs to patients as “kind and compassionate.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- A UK doctor believes that assisted suicide is the most dignified way for terminally ill people to die.
- He thinks that ultimately, legalizing assisted suicide is about freedom and would never become expected/mandatory.
- This is unrealistic, given the present-day and observable example of countries that have legalized assisted suicide and now use it as a way to cut costs and refuse people the medical treatments they need to survive.
THE DETAILS:
Dr. Hilary Jones, who is a regular guest on British TV shows like Good Morning Britain, recently spoke in favor of the UK’s The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The House of Commons is set to vote on that bill on Friday.
Jones called assisted suicide “kind and compassionate” and said he would “absolutely” take part in prescribing deadly drug cocktails for patients if the bill becomes law.
“I’ve always felt it is the most humane, kind and compassionate thing that relatives and doctors can provide…” he said.
Encouraging someone to end their own life or assisting them in their suicide is currently illegal in the UK and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Jones said legalizing such behavior will “relieve healthcare professionals who deal with terminal illness.”
While he said he understands that some people may be against legalized assisted death based on religions or cultural beliefs, “[t]he bottom line is that I think it’s the patient’s individual choice. I think we should respect the right of the individual to choose what they want. This is not a mandatory thing. This is not being imposed on anybody.”
He added, ” And I think people should have the individual right to make a decision about how they end their life if they’ve got a terminal illness where there’s no prospect of cure and they’re suffering and they fear an undignified death.”
COMMENTARY:
Jones’ comments have a clear agenda — to convince those listening that suicide, when prescribed by a doctor like himself, is ‘dignified’ and ‘humane,’ ‘kind and compassionate,’ and that it is all about personal freedom. His words sound soothing but they highlight the discriminatory nature of pro-assisted suicide laws.
As an able-bodied human being who has authority as a doctor, Jones is in a position of power, which he is using to influence others in favor of assisted suicide and will use to influence vulnerable patients to carry out suicide.
It appears he got the assisted suicide marketing memo, so to speak:
1. Jones frames deaths other than assisted suicides as ‘undignified.’
First, it is a deliberate tactical move for him to say that people who live in “fear of an undignified death” should have the option of assisted suicide.
By framing any death other than suicide as “undignified,” Jones is sending the subtle message that it is a dignified person who chooses assisted suicide to die.
2. Jones says assisted suicide is about freedom and wouldn’t become mandatory.
Jones claims that if assisted suicide is legalized, it would ‘not be a mandatory thing.’
In other words, ‘Don’t worry, folks, this is all about personal freedom. If you don’t want to die by suicide, you won’t have to.’ It’s not difficult to see how out of touch this is with reality.
Look at Canada, Oregon, and California for the truth: once assisted suicide is legalized, it becomes expected. Insurance companies and the Canadian government are refusing cancer treatments and other care for patients and are offering assisted suicide instead because it’s cheaper.
3. Jones thinks not being able to help people kill themselves would be like a medical ‘Dark Ages’
Jones claims that if assisted suicide is not legalized in the UK, “We would be back to square one, back to the Dark Ages, in my opinion, medically, and that would be a shame.”
He added, “I don’t think we would be advancing medicine if the Bill is not passed.”
This is another marketing tactic that is used by those who stand to profit from pro-death ideas like assisted suicide and abortion. They claim willful death is not a modern idea — that killing vulnerable people has been around for generations, and to not allow it would send society backwards — to the Dark Ages?
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Something that has been practiced in previous generations isn’t automatically an ethical or moral act (murder, rape, and child sacrifice are just a few examples). That’s not a solid argument for legalizing assisted suicide.
No one should fall for Jones’ ability to market the product he wants to sell.
