A medical friend brought the Think Ahead site to my attention, and I am so glad to see support, finally galvanising, from all sectors of Irish society.
It is not a pro euthanasia website, although no doubt we will soon hear the same tired old rabble raising rhetoric, from the “pro life” brigade, something along the lines of “knocking off granny to get her money” I should imagine.
This site seems to be a sensible way of trying to plan for the inevitable, and attempts to impose some order in often chaotic situations.
The one good thing for me, is that we as a country are beginning to change how we look at life and living, slowly divorcing ourselves from the bigoted ramblings of desert itinerants or a sixth century paedophile.
Without changing the law however, surely death requests are toothless? If the law of the land and the ethos of the hospital dictate life at any cost, then so be it!
For the Marie Fleming’ and the rest of us, for whom “quality of life”is fast evaporating, these are just fanciful and ultimately empty words.
It angers me, to hear people talking about not wanting to live with indignities, at the end of their lives. I agree with them though.
I would not wish bedpans and assisted toileting, on my worst enemy.
Hopefully this state remembers the many Irish people, for whom these “indignities” are day to day realities and not some hypothetical potentiality!
Links used for this blog:
Think Ahead http://www.thinkahead.ie/
Marie Fleming: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/marie-fleming-loses-supreme-court-righttodie-case-29228686.html