Pro-euthanasia will wrongly coerce patients into a false sense of a "duty to die"

Echo opinion letter published in Times of Malta newspaper:

Euthanasia (aka "mercy killing) and assisted suicide (voluntary ingestion of a poisonous medical cocktail)  are matters of public concern because they involve one person facilitating the death of another. Any change in the law (Malta) would have profound effects on the social fabric of our society, on our attitudes towards each other’s deaths, and illnesses and on our attitudes towards those who are ill and have disabilities.

The pro-euthanasia and assisted suicide lobby emphasizes the importance of personal choice and autonomy.  

These pro-death groups falsely claim, "Should not patients have the right to end their lives?"  Yet, such a deadly right legislated for, might easily and unintentionally transform itself into a ‘duty’ to die. Any specific criteria laid down by law would never be enough to prevent abuse or misdiagnosed cases.

Changing the law to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide will inevitably put pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others. This would significantly affect people who are disabled, elderly, sick or depressed.

Some would face the added risk of coercion by others who might stand to gain from their deaths. Fear and anxiety would be promoted rather than individual autonomy. We must never lose sight of the large number of people who are terminally ill and have exceptionally found richness and purpose in life despite the pain and hardship.

We already played God in legislating for parents to have control over how their offspring arrive in the world. Let us not also give control over how one should leave it, as we will be devaluing life. 

One of the inevitable aspects of debates about euthanasia is the reluctance on the part of advocates to confront the essence of what they propose. (Maine Writer -  In my opinion, no one has a "right to die".)

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are never acceptable acts of mercy. They always gravely exploit the suffering and desperate, extinguishing life in the name of the ‘quality of life’ itself.

Mark Said LL.D – Msida
Merciful and compassionate Malta