An Australian scientist named David Goodall is ready to kick the bucket. The man’s 104-years-old, meaning, he was born in 1914, the year of the First World War. And his intention to leave Australia to go to Switzerland for their legalized assisted suicide programs has renewed the debate on “euthanasia” in the nation.
It’s unbelievable how old he is. 104 years on this earth means he has experienced or just heard of, nearly every catastrophe, but also every technological advancement over the span of one hundred years.
And the twentieth century was probably the craziest century of all of human history, considering the two world wars, as well as the exponential technological innovation.
The wisdom this man has is probably IMMENSE. One would think that he wouldn’t want to die, but after 104 years on the planet, he’s become so frail that his quality of life has deteriorated in a big way.
All of his friends have passed away, and all of his children and grandchildren are busy with their own lives. Moreover, he lost his job because the University he worked at told him he was a safety risk to himself (but really they probably just didn’t want to deal with the guy).
Because his quality of life has fallen apart in such a drastic way over the last ten years, he packed his bags and his going to Switzerland to receive drugs allowing him to pass away peacefully and at his own accord.
In Australia, the practice has been banned for over twenty years. His decision to leave the continent down under is a result of Australia’s old-school laws regarding euthanasia. Many European countries, as well as Canada, and parts of the United States have legalized assisted suicide, so it appears they’re falling behind.
And people are having the conversation once again because of Goodall. Is it right or wrong to allow people to end their own life at a time they choose?
104-yr-old Australian, David Goodall, has flown to Switzerland to end his life #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/Pby3n91Ecb
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) May 3, 2018
When Mr. Goodall sat down with reporters from the Australian news agency, ABC, he said, “I greatly regret having reached that age,” and this makes a lot of sense if you take even a second to think about it.
Can you imagine being so frail, that at every moment of every day, simply getting up to walk to the bathroom is a mission? God forbid that you fall down, like in David’s case, when he was laying there in his apartment, unable to get up for two days.
“I’m not happy, I want to die.”
The man is so old that he doesn’t have any control over his life or his body. At that point, assisted suicide seems like an option. If you don’t even have control over your own physical existence, then what is the point of even being here?
If euthanasia is legal, you can choose how you die, and it will probably more peaceful than lying alone in a hospital bed with your lungs filling up with fluid which, in reality, is how most people.
It’s clear what viewpoint this website has on the matter because we advocate doing what you want. Let us know in the comments what you think about Goodall and assisted suicide.