Volunteer Assisted Dying Bill
I am writing to strongly disagree with Today editor’s desk 26/8/21 by Mini Tassell which criticises the Member for Southern Downs James Lister for his decision not to support the Volunteer Assisted Dying Bill that will legalise euthanasia in Queensland.
James Lister has a conscience vote on this issue and makes a list of very well considered and reasoned arguments for his decision to vote against it in his published statement. I wholeheartedly agree with his arguments and absolutely support his decision.
Ms Tassell states that the majority of the community supports her position, that of “volunteer assisted dying” or legalised euthanasia. How does she know this? We haven’t had a referendum on it. I haven’t been asked. The ABC has a well-known biased agenda based on their staffs’ minority world view.
Ms Tassell’s argument for why she feels so strongly doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. She says that palliative care was not sufficient for her father and that she feels responsible for his death because she asked for another dose to relieve his pain. Ms Tassell was not responsible for her father’s death. Cancer was. How do these unwarranted feelings of guilt justify such a passionate stand in favour of euthanasia?
Most of us lose our parents at some stage. Some of us lose our children. We have lost two children. One many years ago in a car accident and one very recently after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. After choosing palliative care at Ipswich Hospital, Terran died on 15/3/2021 in his sleep with his mother holding his hand. For the last five years of his life Terran lived in a quadriplegic state and of late lived with extremely high levels of support in a disability housing unit in Springfield run by MS Queensland. The life he led would seem intolerable to many of us. However, Terran enjoyed the last five years of his life. He enjoyed conversations with his carers and medical professionals. He enjoyed his family’s visits, his TV shows and the company of other residents and visitors.
If Terran had lived under the proposed new regime, perhaps things may have been different. Perhaps he would have been talked into “volunteer assisted dying” and missed the last few years of his life. He would have missed many happy hours in conversations with others. We would have missed having Christmas dinner with him last year.
How do you “mitigate” the feelings of being a burden to one’s family? Above all who are we to say when someone’s life should end? It’s not up to us.
We already have a more than adequate system for end-of-life care. It’s called palliative care. We do not need a system that allows euthanasia based on spurious arguments of guilt or mistaken compassion. We should never put vulnerable people in the position that they feel they should cease to be a burden by ending their life early.
– Tony Hassall, Ballandean
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’d love a referendum on this issue, but unfortunately don’t see it happening. It would have been great to see questions like that included in our recent census. Many surveys have been done over the years that support ABC Compass’ data, such as from Newspoll and the Australia Institute. While I shared my personal experience to give background on my views, what it really comes down to for me is that I believe people have a right to bodily autonomy. I’m so grateful that your son was able to live a comfortable and fulfilling life on palliative care, and I’m very sorry for your loss. However, your concern that Terran would have been “talked into“ voluntary assisted dying would not be possible under the proposed bill as voluntary assisted dying cannot be raised without a patient asking about it first and even then medical practitioners must explain all possible options a patient has. We’ve explained this and other misconceptions in our article on page 10. You’re right when you say choosing when someone’s life should end is not up to us. It’s up to that person. It’s their life.
The Euthanasia Death Cult
“The true test of a civilisation is the way it treats its old people,” said David Lloyd-George. (EDITOR’S NOTE: While various religious sites have attributed this quote to the former UK Prime Minister, and others have attributed it to Ghandi, this quote can not be confirmed to have been said by anyone in particular.)
What then are we to make of a government that is contemplating the legalised killing of our elderly and infirm? What does it say about a newspaper that shamelessly promotes state sanctioned murder?
ABC’s Vote Compass is an opt-in survey of ABC viewers who largely endorse ABC leftist propaganda. It is not a poll and has no statistical credibility. That euthanasia proponents are appealing to it for their cause smacks of desperation.
Our nation was founded upon the belief that man is made in the image of God, that human life is sacred, and that our lives have ultimate and eternal purpose. There are many who wish to abolish these truths and replace them with an atheistic world-view that regards man as a mere cosmic accident, as nothing but stardust, of no more significance than a cockroach, and whose life has no ultimate meaning or purpose. It is altogether consistent for such people to advocate for the extermination of the unproductive and unwanted who are only a burden to the rest of humanity.
When a society repudiates the lordship of Jesus Christ, the sanctity of life is replaced by the culture of death, and it becomes a moral virtue to kill the elderly, the unborn, and any other undesirable.
God declares, “All they that hate me love death.” (Proverbs 8:36)
– Brendon Dunn, Stanthorpe
EDITOR’S NOTE: Australia is a multicultural nation made up of people with diverse views, religious or otherwise. While you are entitled to your religious beliefs, the rest of the country is entitled not to live by them.
