Rejection of amendments in favor of euthanasia – maintaining vigilance

“Kill the pain, not the patient” (’Soulager mais pas tuer’) welcomes the rejection of amendments clearly designed to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, and which were defended by part of the presidential majority. The movement “Kill the pain, not the patient” maintains its vigilance.

The mobile given by Health Minister Marisol Touraine reveals the ambiguity of the government’s position : “Don’t put pressure on the French people”. But over and above all, the French people must not let themselves be soothed into inaction by the text under debate. The “Kill the pain, not the patient” movement has already proved that the text is useless and dangerous.

“Kill the pain, not the patient” remains on the constant look-out against certain forms of euthanasia hidden behind the expression, “deep and continuous sedation until death”. The sedation in euthanasia is all the more pernicious if it is hidden, and thus deprives care-givers of their conscience clause. The movement therefore demands that killing be prohibited and thus clearly reaffirmed by maintaining the principle of the double effect act : the intention must be to relieve pain and never that of provoking death. The French people must be protected from protocols putting an end to life, where sedation accompanied a lack of hydration would cause the patient’s death.

In function of the follow-up of debates, there may, or may not, be a call given for a national demonstration on Sunday April 12, 2015. This mobilization of supporters was pre-announced to 600 people gathered yesterday, Tuesday March 10, with specialists and witnesses, near the French Parliament.