UK Government showing pro-suicide film to 14-year-olds in school
Dr. Death showing off some of his assisted suicide wares
There are many people who disagree with how public schools are run, how they select the curriculum and what exactly they teach. Those people just got a massive new talking point.
Dr. Philip Nitschke is an outspoken and rabidly pro-suicide activist who gives workshops detailing exactly how to kill oneself. This is obviously not only morally objectionable but it is also medically irresponsible. By giving out medical advice without knowing anything about the patient, they are not assessing if the patient has the mental capacity to make an informed decision about their health. Therefore, Dr. Neitschke could be giving thorough instructions on how to commit suicide, he could easily be telling people who struggle with depression how exactly to kill themselves.
The euthanasia debate is a heated one as there are strong moral convictions and ideological perspectives driving those on both sides and it is one that shouldn’t even be considered here. Thus, I will not delve into this debate as it really has nothing to do with impressionable 14-year-old students being shown a video that presents a solely pro-suicide film. Debating if a terminal cancer patient should be able to choose to end their life is one thing, and it is up for legitimate debate in my opinion. However, there should be no debate in showing children how to kill themselves.
There is absolutely no logical reason to justify giving children detailed instructions on how to end their lives. A class can easily delve deep into the euthanasia debate from both sides without witnessing people commit suicide or listening to the rantings of a fanatically pro-suicide activist.
Nitschke is so overzealous, he is actually cast out by both sides of the rational debate. I am glad that even those who believe that assisted suicide should be a choice for terminally ill patients aren’t ideologically biased enough to think that 14-year-olds should be shown how to do it.
The Daily Mail writes,
The decision to include Dr Nitschke in the video was condemned by campaigners both for and against assisted dying, and a psychologist warned that it could encourage vulnerable teenagers to end their lives.
The video is being shown as the BBC stands accused of being ‘a cheerleader for assisted suicide’ after filming a man killing himself at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
Writer Sir Terry Pratchett, an outspoken advocate of euthanasia, presents the documentary which is due to be broadcast on BBC2 this summer.
Why there is any debate about the BBC standing as a cheerleader for assisted suicide I have no idea. How would could featuring rabidly pro-suicide individuals in a documentary aimed at young people not be cheerleading for suicide? Later in the article we read,
In it Michael Irwin, a former doctor and euthanasia campaigner, explains why he was ‘very pleased’ to help at least nine people to kill themselves at the Dignitas clinic.
He was struck off the medical register six years ago for attempting to help a suicide.In what the makers say is a balanced treatment of the issue, the video includes many comments from opponents of euthanasia.
There is a contribution from anti-euthanasia group Care Not Killing and an impassioned plea against assisted suicide by Baroness Campbell.
Producer and director Thomasina Gibson said: ‘If you are going to treat teenagers as young adults you have to give them all sides of the argument and let them debate it and make their own minds up.
‘We have had extremely positive responses from pupils and teachers.’
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a complete supporter of free speech in all of its forms at all times. I do not believe that “hate speech” should be outlawed just because it offends someone. Similarly, presenting individuals vocalizing their beliefs regarding suicide should not be illegal either. However, should we be showing children assisted suicides and the nitty-gritty of the subject in their classroom?
In the learning environment of a classroom, children expect to receive authoritative and accurate information. How will they process a film that takes a decidedly pro-suicide bent by extensively showing fanatics? Let’s put this in perspective, say there was a class about religion. Well there are many documentaries and religions out there, would it not be strange to show a documentary that focused on Satanism and showed human sacrifices? Even if they showed Christians speaking against it, would that not still be objectionable? Especially in the classroom? How is this any different?
With the internet, children can easily find whatever information they please, especially because most parents do not employ parental filters or locks. Therefore, if a 14-year-old was really interested in euthanasia and was determined enough to find the information, even with a parental filter the child could get the information. That is a given in today’s world, especially with children who have grown up with the internet at their fingertips. Should we thereby encourage suicide by presenting them the information in a classroom in which they expect to be taught?
I think this is completely ridiculous and I hope the people of the UK take a stand against this. If you are going to show the lunatic fringe of one issue, you must show the lunatic fringe of every issue. Especially if they are to claim you are “giving them all sides of the argument”. Are we now going to show pro-gang films because it is one side of the argument? Are we going to show child pornography because there are people out there who actually argue for it? To address a more oft argued issue in the United States, would they also teach Biblical Creationism in biology class?
In my mind, you’re more than welcome to hold whatever opinion you want, regardless of how repulsive and morally repugnant I find it, like in the case of those who actually argue in favor of pedophilia. While you’re welcome to hold your beliefs, if you decided to preach your opinion to the children of America in their classrooms I would take issue. I hope that the parents and legislators of the United Kingdom realize how ridiculous this is and remove it from their curriculum.
Madison Ruppert is a Los Angeles-based independent journalist and researcher as well as the founder, owner, administrator and editor of EndtheLie.com. He has no affiliations with any government agencies, political parties, non-governmental organizations, or economic schools. He is available for freelance writing assignments and appearances or interviews in any format. He can be reached by emailing
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