by Paul Russell: Ever wondered how the 'celebrity' euthanasia cases become, well, celebrity cases? Some, I imagine are simply place and time occurrences; where a well-meaning person with a terminal illness decides for themselves to use their illness to 'further a cause'. For some, like UK man, Tony Nicklinson, it is simply about their own demise and, for the likes of Brittany Maynard in the USA last year, it would appear that the media attention can become a drug of addiction.So, clearly there are those who call up a journalist off their own back and want to tell their story. Some, I have observed over the years, have spoken to the media in such a way as to make it clear, to me at least, that they had been coached by pro-euthanasia and assisted suicide campaigners in the right things to say and how to say them. Continue reading

Australian Disability Advocacy group Lives Worth Living weighed in on the news, yesterday, concerning the medical board of Australia's decision to severely restrict Dr Nitschke's affilliation with the work of Exit International, by joining the call of an Inquiry. LWL Convener Craig Wallace said today, that, "LWL welcomes the heavy restrictions placed on Dr. Nitschke. They highlight the need to protect all Australians from coercion to commit suicide, especially people with disabilities. Australians with disabilities face a lack of support, including specifically designed suicide prevention programs." "Despite the decision, the threat is not over. There now needs to be a Parliamentary Inquiry into the actions of Exit International. The restrictions placed on Dr. Nitschke raise real questions about the role and work of Exit International in coaching people towards suicide through online forums as evidence in the tragic events reported last year", Mr. Wallace said. Continue reading

Euthanasia, Dignity and Me by Daniel PaskWhat follows is a revised and expanded version of a talk I delivered to a group of students from the University of Sydney. I was on a panel with Gerentologist Dr. John Obeid and Jeremy Bell, philosopher and Monash Scholar. I beg your indulgence in terms of referencing style; if any mistakes in referencing really bother you, please let me know! Continue reading

Better off dead? What Peter Singer doesn't get about disability and euthanasia. By Alex SchadenbergInternational Chair, Euthanasia Prevention CoalitionLast week Peter Singer, the bioethicist from Princeton University debated Anthony Fisher the Archbishop of Sydney Australia. Singer, who has published books supporting euthanasia, assisted suicide and infanticide, faced strong criticism from the disability rights community. Continue reading

THE RIGHT TO QUESTION AND AN OBLIGATION TO JUDGEPOSTED BY LIVESWORTHLIVING ON NOV 1, 2014 In the last few weeks a slew of articles, mainly from the UK Daily Mail stable, have emerged featuring parents advocating the abortion or euthanasia of their children with disabilities.At opposite ends we have a story from an elderly mother who says that she wished that she aborted Stephen, her 47 year-old son with Downs Syndrome, and at the other tragic end we have the recent story of a younger mother who succeeded in getting a Court to agree to the Ormond Street Hospital in the United Kingdom withholding hydration from her 12 year old daughter who was born blind with hydrocephalus, meningitis and septicaemia. Continue reading

Cross posted from Lives Worth Living. On Friday, 3 October 2014 Lives Worth Living Convenor Craig Wallace addressed the Senate Inquiry into the Exposure draft of the Medical Services (Dying with Dignity) Bill 2014. This is the prepared text of our opening remarks to the Inquiry:Firstly Senators thank you for this opportunity to give evidence here today and also for accepting a late and brief submission. Continue reading

Lives Worth Living has uncovered a series of bizarre and horrifying pro-euthanasia comments on a prominent polling website which describe children with disability as burdens, a waste of resources and "not even human".  An online debate.org poll which asked whether parents should be able to euthanize disabled children "that complicate their lives" has provided a disturbing window into the views of some in the pro-euthanasia community towards about disability.Debate.org describes itself as a free online community where "intelligent minds from around the world" come to debate online and read the opinions of others. The poll saw 61% indicate that they believe that parents should be able to euthanize children with a disability despite not specifying which disabilities or how they complicate lives. Continue reading

Recent headlines in a major metropolitan newspaper inviting comparisons between people with disability and the nation's war wounded should give pause to disability rights advocates that still support euthanasia. To invoke Hitler is said to be last desperate act on the losing side of an argument yet it becomes impossible to ignore the historical resonance between slackers and useless eaters when deliberately placed aside veterans and war.They make it impossible for responsible disability activists to eschew links between the debate about euthanasia and its true historical pedigree as a State utilitarian program designed to cleanse a softened modern era of its slackers. Continue reading