Cancer Sufferer Demands Euthanasia Bill
| Author | Max Barry |
|---|---|
| Editor | Max Barry |
| Date added | 2002 |
| Subject | Cancer, Euthanasia |
| Main category (?) | Civil freedom |
| Number of options | 3 |
The Cancer Sufferer Demands Euthanasia Bill issue was one of the first 31 issues written for NationStates by the game's creator Max Barry. This issue is based on the real life debates on doctor assisted suicide.
Contents
Issue
Dorothy Terwilliger lies immobilized in a hospital bed, unable to move. She has end-stage cancer, and wishes to end her struggle against death. However, laws prevent her doctors from obeying her wishes.
Debate options
- Dorothy and her family are campaigning for a "Dying with Dignity" bill, to change this situation. She implores the government to legalize euthanasia.
- "I understand this is a very difficult time for these people," says freelance medical writer @@RANDOMNAME@@. "But the solution is not to let our medical system slide down the slippery slope of killing people in pain. We must cure, not kill. This is not the right time for euthanasia."
- "I agree, but go further: there is never a right time for euthanasia," says Bishop @@RANDOMNAME@@. "The lives we lead are given to us by the grace of God, and he decides when they end. It is not for us to question God's divine purpose, no matter how odd or screwed-up it may seem."
Domestic impacts
Option 1
The following game text is added to nations choosing this option:
- euthanasia is legal
It is believed that the first option increases civil freedoms.
Option 2
It is believed that the second option decreases civil freedoms.
Option 3
It is believed that the third option also decreases civil freedoms, but that it increases religion.
United Nations impact
In Jan. 2004, the United Nations adopted the Legalise Euthanasia resolution which gave all citizens in UN member states the right to choose to end their lives. This resolution mirrored the first option, which promoted civil freedoms. Though this issue and the UN resolution would be in conflict if players chose the second or third options, forbidding or outlawing euthanasia, the moderators never took any action on nations that chose the second option. The fact that UN members could still choose the second option has been used as a justification for the opinion that UN resolutions are not mandatory, but instead are recommendations of international will. Some players advocate that UN members may chose to not comply with some UN resolutions, so long as such non-compliance is roleplayed and accepted by a number of other players. This resolution was later repealed in Jun. 2006, thus there is no conflict between international law and this issue at present.
Additional materials
- Legalise Euthanasia United Nations resolution
- List of Issues
- NationStates Issues Thread on jolt forums discussing daily issues
