Blog
September 25, 2016
Why the Belgians have it right
It will be twenty years ago this week since the Northern Territory passed the world’s first law on voluntary euthanasia.
The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (ROTI) was a carefully-drafted piece of legislation that allowed a terminally ill person of sound mind to ask a doctor for help to die. The law expressly excluded …
July 31, 2016
Why Legalized Testing of Nembutal is Common Sense
In mid July at the Secret Garden Party Festival in Cambridgeshire in the UK, The Loop alcohol and drug testing service achieved the impossible.
They conducted police-approved, lawful drug testing for party-goers.
Politics.co.uk writes that a 10m sq patch of lawn became Ground Zero for those wanting their party drugs tested.
This is how it …
July 14, 2016
Why Theresa May is no Feminist
I must admit, while not a conservative voter, last week I started to get a bit sucked in!
Last week, there was Theresa May, Britain’s would-be next (and now new) Prime Minister wearing purple.
While I’m yet to notice Hillary in the color of feminism (and dignity), I convinced myself that May’s choice of frock …
May 21, 2016
From Voluntary Euthanasia to Rational Suicide? Exit’s 20th Anniversary Conference
The forthcoming Exit 20th Anniversary conference is titled ‘From Voluntary Euthanasia to Rational Suicide’.
But what are we talking about?
Generally speaking, VE – voluntary euthanasia is the catch-all term that means an assisted death. Euthanasia comes from the Greek, meaning good death.
Voluntary speaks for itself (although as some Christian groups would argue, there …
February 28, 2016
America’s Moral Panic over Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Whoever said it was Donald Trump who was causing moral panic and outrage in the US at the moment was only partly right. The other mischief maker is the Dutch, at least where euthanasia is concerned.
The study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows a few things. And not …
October 7, 2015
California’s End of Life Options Act (SB-128) – What’s it all about?
“I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain,” he wrote in a letter addressed to state lawmakers. “I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill.
“And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.” …
September 27, 2015
Submission to Inquiry into End of Life Choices
I made a late submission to the Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into End of Life Choices in the Australian state of Victoria, not expecting it to be accepted, but it was. Here it is :
……the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells –
From the jingling and the
September 4, 2015
A day in the country
When Australian Broadcast Corporation invited contributions to their Death and Dying ABC Open project, I submitted the following. But it has not appeared on the website. Is this a case of censorship by our national broadcaster? I guess we’ll never know since they are not responding to my emails.
Dr. Johannes Klabbers
On a …
August 4, 2015
Why I don’t want to know about dying to know day
A lot of things have a day now. Last week we had Cheesecake Day. That was good. I like cheesecake. In Mexico they have a Day of the Dead. In Australia The Groundswell Project has declared August 8th #DyingToKnowDay.
Perhaps you’re just dying …
July 22, 2015
The life and death of Rogi Wieg
Rogi Wieg, a well known Dutch poet, died by voluntary euthanasia in Amsterdam on Wednesday night.
Throughout his life he suffered from serious depression and anxiety. He frequently had long spells in psychiatric institutions where he received electroshock therapy. He attempted suicide three times. His request for euthanasia was granted on the basis of ‘unbearable …
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