In a couple of weeks we’ll be asked to create a drama for our Japanese speaking class. The theme is Euthanasia.
I’ve not given euthanasia much thought before now. But over the past couple of weeks I’ve come across a few programs on Radio 4 that have touched on the subject, including this morning’s Saturday Live (listen again, interview is about 10 minutes in) which had an interview with the sister of John Close (see the 47 minute video about his life and death here).
Unfortunately I missed last week’s interview with Alison Davis, who had wanted to kill herself for over 10 years as a result of suffering from severe spina bifida, but was prevented from doing so by UK law. She subsequently came to value her life once again following a trip to India to meet two children that she had sponsored, and now campaigns against euthanasia.
It’s a really difficult subject, and I just don’t know how I feel about it.