Comments on: What Is Dignitas?

By: Patricia Walsh

Patricia Walsh — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:21:17 +0000

I am 56 years old and have been diagnosed with early breast cancer. I have already made my mind up when I am diagnosed with secondaries that i will not be taking any further treatment. I do not relish the thought of my family seeing me in the final throws of this dreadful disease. I have therefore registered with dignitas. Afterall you would not allow an animal to suffer, humans are no different.

By: Linean

Linean — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:46:36 +0000

Is there no end to the rants of the “life” facists? Geez, give the unborn baby rale a rest already.
Back to the Dignitas blog…1. Depression does not meet the legal criteria for mental incompetence. 2. Pain is subjective - who is to say that the pain of depression is less than the pain of cancer or the specter of Alzheimers?
So hooray for Dignitas! When I am ready for my life to end, I’ll be surfing Orbitz for a cheap one-way ticket to Switzerland.

By: Delia

Delia — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:47:55 +0000

So you think it’s ok for a depressed person to kill himself, but not ok to get help making sure whatever he takes to kill himself actually works? The man is almost blind — and he might botch it up. So, why not help him? I’m not taking a position one way or another about whether it’s right to commit suicide. I simply say if you do so, you should do it efficiently.

By: Jean, Ohio

Jean, Ohio — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:44:29 +0000

I am sorry to repeat this, but when you start with killing unborn babies, there is no limit to anything — in fact the killing never stops.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:36:28 +0000

Here is a little more on Dignitas (http://genevalunch.com/2008/10/22/dignitas-suicide-aid-organization-refused-right-to-drugs/) which is quite well known in Europe. British media in particular have covered it several times because assisted suicide is illegal in Britain, but the government has never prosecuted anyone going to Switzerland from Britain to use the clinic or assist others.

There is a good deal of debate and discussion in Switzerland in the rest of Europe about this particular case and assisted suicide clinics in general. Here is a summary of and link to the long article in the UK Guardian by their daughter, who was with them when they died: http://genevalunch.com/2009/07/22/daughter-of-british-couple-who-died-at-swiss-dignitas-clinic-describes-their-death/.