suicide tourist

By chance I came across a documentary called "The Suicide Tourist" on television last night. I had no plans to watch it but the title intrigued me as I thought it was going to be about suicide bombers. I couldn't have been more wrong. The show followed the final days of Craig Ewert, an ALS sufferer, as he went to Zurich, Switzerland for his assisted suicide. Apparently, the law in Switzerland permits assisted suicide so long as there is no personal gain for those providing the assistance. It was evident that Craig, a university professor, had thought carefully about his wish for death, it was not a spur of the minute decision. As he explained, from his research on ALS, he understood that "most" people don't suffer. What good does "most" mean to him? How do you know if one is suffering if they cannot communicate nor move their muscles. Generally we associate suffering with screaming, moaning, movement etc. but sufferers of ALS, especially those at the later stages of the disease, can't do any of these, they can't show their feelings, does it mean that they are not suffering? These are all very good questions. As I watched the programme, I hoped that Craig wouldn't go through with it but he did and his death was filmed, and broadcasted which took me by surprise as I didn't think any broadcasting authority in the world would allow someone's death to be aired on public television at prime time. It was inevitable that after watching such a surreal documentary, one would start to fully appreciate the value of "quality" life and think about the issue of voluntary euthanasia.