Disability Rights Opposition to Assisted Suicide Now International
The growing opposition to legalizing assisted suicide among disability rights groups has gone international. This opinion piece by Jane Campbell, Ph.D. is important. Campbell is a very politically connected disabled woman in the UK, who served her country as a disability rights commissioner from 2000-2006. She is forming NOT DEAD YET, UK to resist euthanasia and other policies that threaten the lives of disabled people. Here is the WEB site for "Living With Dignity" that includes the NDY,UK information.
I couldn't be more pleased. As I have repeatedly noted, the most important element preventing assisted suicide from spreading beyond Oregon has been the disability rights community. United Kingdom activists have been slower off the mark, partly because they tend to be on the political Left and have perceived--erroneously in my view--opposition to assisted suicide to be particularly religious-based and conservative. That viewpoint has evolved to the point where I believe the robust alliance that has developed here across usually divisive political and social issue spectrums may be repeated on the other side of the Pond.
Now, on to Australia and other nations threatened by the death agenda.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 10:43 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Wesley,
I do think you misrepresent the opposition to assisted suicide and the different forms of euthanasia by european disabled people in your piece. 1a) You can't just say 'the european activist' (I assume you mean disabled people activist as your piece is about disabled people)
as the situation was and is different for every European country 1b) even if you mean european activist in general your generalisation does not hold true
2) To link the claimed but not true lack of opposition to assisted suicide and different forms of euthanasia to the affiliation with the political left also is untenable as many from the 'left' were and are very active in opposing assisted suicide in a variety of european countries although the level varies. But thats a reflection of differences within european countries so to set the dichotomy the progressive USA versus the backwater European just does not holding true.
You are right that many on the Left in Europe oppose assisted suicide and euthanasia, particluarly in Germany and Austria. Perhaps, I should have been more clear. My impression of the state of politics in the UK was what I meant, and should have stated more precisely. Thanks for the correction.
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