Comment by hannofcart
3 days ago
I see a lot of comments here expressing disapproval about assisted suicide.
I'd like to quote from the HN guidelines:
> Don't be curmudgeonly. Thoughtful criticism is fine, but please don't be rigidly or generically negative.
With that said I urge you those who disapprove to ask whether you are being "rigidly negative" about this.
1. Is this disapproval perhaps coming from your religious context? If so, please pause and consider why that may not apply to the rest of us. And also whether you really think that your religious beliefs must be forced on the rest of us.
2. Is this disapproval coming from a sense of deep unease that this post causes? If so, know that this unease is shared by most of us. But try and muster the fortitude to go past that unease and consider the decision from a place of compassion.
My mum died earlier this year. In hospital, she was approved for assisted dying. There is a mandatory waiting period as part of the process.
Many/most of the nursing staff are Filipino and strongly Roman Catholic.
As she lay dying and unable to speak, one of the nurses undertook to convert her at this last minute to their religion. At night, alone, after all visitors had left, she would come into mum's room and press mum, a very committed atheist, to pray for her salvation.
It's hard to describe how vulnerable someone is who is stuck in their bed and dependant on the nursing team for everything, even sips of water.
I will say this was not representative of her care, but it opened my eyes to the lengths religious believers will go to to push their views on others.
Sorry to hear that, that is completely unacceptable behavior.
That was a heartrending account. Am so sorry for your loss. Both she and you deserved to be treated better.