On November 14, 2016, Tugdual Derville was a guest speaker on “Sud Radio”, invited by Philippe David for the broadcast “I Stand Alone” in the discussion on assisted suicide, following the Mercier Case.
Tugdual Derville, guest on “Sud Radio” on November 14, 2016
Some quotes from the broadcast:
« We are all scared of suffering (…) The challenge is to prove to everyone, even to the weakest, the most vulnerable, that they have their place among us.”
“The ban on murder underpins brotherhood.”
“My life was given to me, I didn’t request it. Is my life a project or something that requires a consent? It is rather brutal and painful to see our society gradually developing the idea that everyone’s life is a project and that it must be successful; whereas a large part of my life consists in accepting the deeply entrenched roots which are part of myself. What I decide to do with my body and my life not only affects me. It also affects my family and loved ones. Suicide is a real social tragedy that concerns all of us. »
“How heroic on the part of the family caregivers to assist their loved ones to the very end, without ever yielding to the temptation of euthanasia! (…) I want to congratulate the people who take care of those who are at the end of their life, and who never appear in the headlines of our newspapers.”
« In the countries where assisted suicide was legalized, some people in good health request suicide.”
“Is such a request a genuine act of freedom, when made by someone who is suffering? Did the person receive all the care he really deserves?”
« Medicine has achieved remarkable technical progress. Technical advances are important, but they also need to be humane. (…) It would be completely ungrateful to entirely denigrate medical progress. Quadriplegic Philippe Pozzo di Borgo (from an Aristocratic French family author of “Le Second Souffle” (Second Breath) which inspired the award-winning French film “Untouchables”) would not be alive today if it were not for medical progress.”
“Loneliness is today’s tragedy: Society suffers more from loneliness than from actual physical suffering.”
“Individuals going through a suicidal crisis need to be protected from putting an end to their life.”
« The word “courage” connected with suicide, could imply that courage lies in dying, whereas very often true heroism consists in continuing to live.”
“Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland are counter-examples for us: after having opened the door for cases which were considered exceptional at the time, they now have voted laws which allow a person who is tired of living to die in a so-called “dignified” way. As soon as we cross the line where killing is forbidden, we don’t know when or where to stop…”
