SWISS SAY NO TO EUTHANASIA RESTRICTIONS

VOTERS IN SWISS CITY OF ZURICH VOTED
AGAINST ASSISTED SUICIDE RESTRICTIONS

Zurich (AFP) - Voter in the Swiss region of Zurich, which has become known as a hub for “death tourism”, have voted against plans to restrict assisted suicide to local residents.  The motion brought by the conservative Federal Democratic Union party sought to impose a one-year residence requirement in the Zurich canton for those who resort to legally sanctioned assisted suicide.  A locally based association, Dignitas, has gained notoriety over the past decade by offering more than 1,000 foreigners, mainly terminally ill people, the opportunity to take advantage of relatively permissive Swiss laws.  The motion was rejected by the 78 % of the votes.  A second motion calling for a national ban on assisted suicide was also rejected by the 84 % of the votes.  Passive help for those wanting to end their lives is allowed and efforts to change the Swiss laws have failed.

In Switzerland a person may be given “passive” assistance to suicide, such as being supplied with a lethal dose of a drug, provided it is not done for selfish motives or for gain.  Active assistance, including helping the person to take the drug or administering it, is forbidden.  Dignitas, a Swiss organisation founded by controversial human rights activist Ludwig Minelli that assists the terminally ill, said that by the end of 2010 it had worked with 1,138 people seeking to end their lives.  The list includes 592 people from Germany, 102 from France, 118 Swiss nationals, 19 Italians, 18 US nationals and 16 people from Spain.  The group says that in the last decade it has approached more than 1,000 foreigners about benefiting from Swiss assisted suicide laws.

Voters in Zurich overwhelmingly rejected yesterday proposed bans on assisted suicide and “suicide tourism” -  foreigners travelling to Switzerland to get help ending their lives.  Euthanasia, assisted suicide or "mercy killing” is only legal in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and the US state of Oregon.  The Greek word euthanasia means, "dying well".  To have a "good dead" is possible if at the time of death one remembers God, despite of all adverses circumstances.  The Greek word euthanasia means, "dying well".  To have a "good dead" is possible if at the time of death one remembers God, despite of all adverse circumstances. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?  

Euthanasia is now a subject of moral inquiry, and is controversial because it concerns the right of people to kill themselves deliberately. ... Euthanasia is a medical procedure that is performed to end the life of an evicted human being.  Supporters of such a procedure are convinced that this is a great task; therefore, they say it is the best to do when face suffering; others call this work an “act of compassion.”  However, they forget the importance and seriousness of death.  These people are unaware that at the moment of death one has to receive special attention, since it is the last moment of his life:  God created death for the soul can transmigrate into another body, so this is the way to satisfy all desires and pay all debts that have been accumulated.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Vedic Wisdom”: “Euthanasia. Dying with Dignity?”
http://vwonline.blogspot.com/  -  http://www.sabiduriavedica.org
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php?n=sabidurias_vedicas.eutanasia