UP Ibalon Bicol: Conductor and wife die in an assisted suicide in Switzerland

Conductor and wife die in an assisted suicide in Switzerland

7/15/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The former British Philharmonic and Royal Opera conductor Edward Downes, 85 and his 74 year old wife died of assisted suicide in a clinic in Zurich, Switzerland after years of failing health. Known for his outstanding musicality and conducting prowess, Downes who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth was almost blind and deaf. His wife Joan was a noted dancer and choreographer who worked as his devoted assistant. The couple had been together for 54 happy years.

A sign of secularist and liberal thinking, ending one’s life at one’s will is creeping into the norms of life. This is exactly what the Downes decided. At their own choosing, in a clinic supervised by a group called Dignitas, they died “peacefully.” The death facility which was founded in 1998 had about a hundred British citizens, many with terminal illness or disability, choosing its service to end their life.

“Dignitas says it is meeting the needs of its members. It says it charges 10,000 Swiss francs ($9,200) for its services, which include taking care of legal formalities and arranging consultations with a doctor willing to prescribe the barbiturates. British law is clearly against assisted suicide, but enforcement has been somewhat lax.”---AP (07/14/09, Lawless, J.)

The legal assisted suicide permitted in Switzerland is backed by a law which dates back in 1942. It allows foreigners from other countries from Europe to come and kill themselves, a controversial practice that needs regulation and deep moral consideration.

The decision to kill oneself surely raises serious ethical and religious questions. A society swept in relativism, it is permitted in some countries like Netherlands, Belgium and states of USA like Oregon. Some accuse Switzerland as promoting suicide as a tool of tourism. (Photo Credit: weeteeth) =0=

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Labels: assisted suicide, ethics, Great Britain, laws, liberalism, moral values, relativism, secularism, Sir Edward Downes, suicide, Switzerland, Totie Mesia

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Conductor and wife die in an assisted suicide in Switzerland

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