I can see that a responsible society should be encouraging its citizens to stay alive, and that life is rosy and good (because it’s fucking marvellous on the whole) but if there comes a time when I’m in pain (physical OR mental, in my opinion, but I’m happy to stick with just physical for the sake of reform) and those I love are in pain on my account, well then fuck that. I’ve had a damned fine time of it here, and if I think it’s time to cut my losses and get out then that’s my decision.
So then thank fuck for the Swiss who are one of a handful of countries who recognise that they have absolutely no moral right to order me to stay alive. In fact to do so is fucking absurd. You’re ordering me NOT to die? My birth and my death is not an area over which you have governance, I’m afraid. Are you going order me to breed to make my own tax-paying replacement, too, you insensitive fuckers? I’m in mortal fucking agony here and you’re ordering my doctors to continue the torture? Fuck that.
No, siree Bob. Just like you, I was born free onto a lovely planet drifting serenely through space. How it’s possible to go from that utterly free starting point and end up concluding that therefore you have the right to choose when I die is totally beyond me. Of course we can have social contracts whilst I’m alive: we pay taxes for roads and clean water etc, but this is a whole different level. This is not fucking about with train timetables and tax returns – this is my death we’re talking about.
Just like you, I know that life can be good and bad. Just like you I know that the humane and merciful thing to do can sometimes be upsetting. And just like you, I really don’t want to be in pain. And just like you I suspect I’ll have a pretty good idea when my time is up.
If anyone can come up with even one good reason why they should have the right to choose when I die, I suggest there’s some fundamental flaws in the assumptions they’re making. To save myself from such woolly-headed butt-muncher thinking I’m going to go make myself a Living Will and hope you’ll do the same.