By Bobby Schindler
I found this article very interesting, or should I say pathetic?
Philip Nitschke recently appeared as a witness in a euthanasia trial. Evidently, the prosecutor claimed that he was “hell-bent” on helping a man to commit assisted suicide despite the fact that he suffered from severe Alzheimer’s. Of course Nitschke denied the accusation and also that he had a “reckless disregard for human life” or that he “abrogated” his responsibilities as a doctor.
However, listen to Nitschke’s response when asked how he determines whether or not a person has the mental faculties to decide to commit suicide.
“It was ‘an impression one forms after discussion’. If they can consistently, and repeatedly and coherently put a position that this is what they want … ”
So let get this right, a man with severe Alzheimer’s has the mental capacity to “repeatedly” and “coherently” communicate that he wants to kill himself.
No reckless disregard for human life there.