Matthew Parris on his death:
When I die, and if I have to arrange it myself, I will consult nobody, and do it unassisted if I can. I entertain not a flicker of moral or practical doubt on the subject, and never have. Speaking only for myself — in such matters one should never judge for others — if Nature does not do the job in a timely manner I shall consider it a duty to take matters into my own hands. For me it would be wretched, self-defeating, selfish, irrational, inefficient and pointlessly extravagant to live beyond the time when I am useful, or life is fun.
I can’t tell you how simple I find these arguments: so simple that I’ve hardly bothered to write about the issue. Suicide is the greatest of human freedoms, underwriting all the others, for it gives us the possibility of defying every thing and every one there is. The possibility of suicide is what makes life voluntary and each new day an act of will. No wonder the faith community gnash their teeth at suicide. God Himself, if He existed, would gnash His teeth at suicide: the supreme act of defiance, the final raspberry. The knowledge that I’m here by choice, that every breath I take I take by choice, injects into my soul a transcendent joy. That we can let go whenever we want is for me the deepest sort of thrill.
People should be able to choose. Obviously. And if they choose the end but seek help with the means, they should be able to. Obviously. End of argument.
You can read the full article here.
I have big concerns over all of this but am not able to write about it here. Suffice to say, let’s have a conversation about it one day and then I can discuss my views and arguments. One thing does send shivers down me though when he talks about no longer being useful. I do think more discussion and bringing this whole thing out into the open is very important.
Unless, in very, very extreme cases maybe yes, but overall, I am against assisted suicide. Life is a gift and I am not talking from God. People should not throw it away lightly.
There is no need!
When you are sitting at a typwriter and being ‘useful’ and having ‘fun’ I wonder if you can really envisage a time when you can hold your hand up and say, ‘I am no longer useful and life is no longer fun’
I suspect that he would cling on that little bit longer and find a reason for doing so.
Maybe if I got to a stage in later years when the pain was so bad or I was totally unable to do anything I might wish to have my life ended.
But I cannot say that now and for anyone to think that they can is, maybe, just a little arrogant.
onethoughtfulwoman
We disagree profoundly, but then I’m used to that, and cool with it
You say life is a gift - I don’t think it is. I think it is more an accident. You say what people should and shouldn’t do. That seems a tad arrogant (though I know that is not your intention). Human beings have no say in when they come into the world. It seems a supremely human right and choice for them to say when they leave the world, if they choose to do so.
awriteblog
Thanks for dropping by. I don’t understand why it seems a little arrogant to say that you can imagine a time when you would want to end your life. You are here by accident. Taking control of your exit is a supremely human act, if that is your choice. You are saying: “As a human being, I assert my humanity to say I am no longer going to leave my exit to the mere whim of chance.”
By arrogant I meant that I don’t think anyone can really imagine being in such a position until they experience it.
How can we? It is a complete one-off. We find it difficult enough to empathise with the more mundane experiences of others. To think we can try to do that when it comes to life and death is incomprehensible to me. The concept of impending death, I think, can only be properly understood by those who have experienced it.
We might ‘think’ we can but I’m more of the opinion that we are ‘imagining’ it rather than really feeling a genuine empathy.
To imagine what something might be like is a world away from what it will be like and opinions based on such imaginings should be treated with caution.
Hope that clarifies my comment.
awriteblog
Thanks for the clarification.