Commission and omission

I wrote a red-hot post about the Terry Pratchett programme yesterday, and then thought I'd see if the Guardian might like it. And so I did, and they did. This was the result: Comment is free: Choosing to Die.

Did you know that today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day? Funnily enough, it's not been mentioned on the BBC or in the media. I only discovered this from Peter Saunders' blog, which is excellent on medical ethics and policy. In his post today he writes: "It is often argued that legalising euthanasia or assisted suicide would be a recipe for elder abuse. Given the vulnerability of many older people, who already feel themselves to be a financial, emotional or care burden on others, this is a powerful reason for not changing the law. 
"There are too many people already who have an interest, financial or otherwise, in an older person’s death. Let’s not give them any encouragement. And let’s work to honour, protect and uphold the older members of our community." 

Dr Peter Saunders

Peter Saunders is one of our nation's doughtiest defenders of human life. What the media world prefers to forget he constantly reminds us of. He is often in the front line of contumely and personal animosity. For example, I listened to a rather shrill Margo MacDonald accusing him of scuppering her euthanasia bill in the Scottish Parliament on the Nolan programme on Sunday night, as part of the BBC's three-day Pratchett Fest.

The MNDA had asked if I'd like to participate in the discussion, but as I don't trust my voice under stress at that time of night, I instead sent this email, which Stephen Nolan read out. It said it better than I'd have been able to, and expressed the widespread feeling that the BBC is really not presenting a balanced viewpoint on matters of life and death:
"I have PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis), a rare form of MND. My prognosis is slow but inevitable. I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but neither am I frightened by it.  I understand you're discussing Terry Pratchett's TV programme broadcast tomorrow.

"As my voice is even more rubbish at this time of night than usual, I'm just emailing.

"Obviously I've not seen the programme, and so I can't comment on specifics.  But I'm concerned about it because it sounds as if it will be one-sided with a gesture towards another view. For one thing it's presented by Terry Pratchett whose views are well known after his Dimbleby lecture. He's known to be campaigning for the legalisation of assisted dying, or suicide.  And it's been widely trailed that it will show a death of someone with MND in the Dignitas facility in Zurich in favourable terms. This could be regarded as encouraging others to do the same.

"I understand that the BBC admits this is not an unbiased programme. I'm all for a debate on the subject, but I'd like to know if the BBC has plans for a programme presented by an opponent of legalising assisted suicide. Otherwise it seems it's not being impartial, which it surely should be.

"The large majority of disabled people in a recent Comres poll indicated they were opposed to legalising assisted dying. The reason is because we fear pressure being put on us as we are costly and less valuable ("a burden").  Were assisted suicide to be legalised, no doubt its proponents would argue under great safeguards, experience has shown in places like Holland that involuntary termination of life follows - and the reason seems to me that life is no longer considered inviolable. 

"Terry Pratchett's mantra is "My life, my death, my choice". The trouble is that my choice has consequences for others - health professionals, carers, the vulnerable and the rest of society. It's taken our society a long time to stop even the state taking life. I don't want to return to the days when life is ours for the taking."

Good and bad broadcasting

from Wkipedia

My good friend Rob drew my attention to this year's Richard Dimbleby Lecture, which was given on Tuesday by Michael Morpurgo, the prolific children's author. It's entitled 'Set our Children free'. It touches on a number of issues which are dear to my heart, as readers of this blog will be aware. Sadly I can't find a script on line, and there are only two days left to hear it on iPlayer. But it's well worth the listen. I found myself cheered as I listened to such a creative man talking with great wisdom. 35th Dimbleby Lecture: 'Set our Children free'. Morpurgo talks, among other things, about asylum seekers, the Middle East, education, libraries - and even about educational farms. It's a good deal better broadcasting than 95% of the usual fare.    

Talking of which another friend, Sally Hitchiner, put this rather shocking fact up on Facebook yesterday: 'checked out the Newsround website to send links to the children leading prayers in our All Age service tomorrow and was surprised to find it's REALLY mindless... Lady Gaga, the Brits, Bieber Fever and at the bottom in "other news" (with "Polabear visits dentist") a small feature on the small trouble in Bahrain - 25% of which is about the possibility of it cancelling the grand prix!'     


Michael Morpurgo didn't comment on this, but he did in passing refer to the BBC's Mission, which is: "To enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain". As their flagship news programme for children, the sample of Newsround that Sally found seems to me simply to fail a generation. As she went on to comment: 'I remember it being great when I was a child - they sometimes had an element of "Something really bad happened today in the Middle East but our soldiers are trying their best to make sure everyone is ok" but at least they covered the issues that mattered... They're doing children a real disservice in suggesting that all they're interested in is celebrities and lollipop ladies!' (And I need to say, Sally's not some nostalgic middle-aged fuddy-duddy. She's young, and wonderfully hip.)

On a lighter note, I enjoyed this exchange by children of friends of ours:
Daughter : "You know when they are old and past it...."
Son : "Yes...."
Daughter : "Well, if I look after mum, you could look after dad."
Son : "That's not fair! How come you get the one that does the cleaning, the cooking and the shopping, while I get the useless one!"
You and me also, old pal!     

I've just found a summary of Michael Morpurgo's lecture here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/02_february/15/dimbleby.shtml

The other St Peter's

I don't really apologise for all my posts about the Papal visit - because for one thing, when you're confined to sitting in a chair, it's nice to have a prolonged spectacle to follow. Other than sporting events, there's no equivalent to watch, even normal state visits. And sporting events, other perhaps than the Olympics, don't provide such sustained interest. What's more with the different speeches this event has engaged the intellect.

I don't know whether Pope Benedict uses speech writers. He's certainly bright enough not to need to. I imagine it's a collaborative exercise. Whatever, the range and depth of his speeches over the four days was astonishing. I'm hoping they will be left on the Papal Visit website long enough for them to be re-read and digested. The one which, for obvious reasons, I listened to with keen interest was when he addressed the elderly residents of St Peter's in Vauxhall on Saturday afternoon. The context of the extremely old people being cared for through their final years was poignant. This is it (with my emphases):

'My dear Brothers and Sisters,

'I am very pleased to be among you, the residents of Saint Peter’s, and to thank Sister Marie Claire and Mrs Fasky for their kind words of welcome on your behalf. I am also pleased to greet Archbishop Smith of Southwark, as well as the Little Sisters of the Poor and the personnel and volunteers who look after you.

'As advances in medicine and other factors lead to increased longevity, it is important to recognize the presence of growing numbers of older people as a blessing for society. Every generation can learn from the experience and wisdom of the generation that preceded it. Indeed the provision of care for the elderly should be considered not so much an act of generosity as the repayment of a debt of gratitude.

'For her part, the Church has always had great respect for the elderly. The Fourth Commandment, “Honour your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you” (Deut 5:16), is linked to the promise, “that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you, in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Deut 5:16). This work of the Church for the aging and infirm not only provides love and care for them, but is also rewarded by God with the blessings he promises on the land where this commandment is observed. God wills a proper respect for the dignity and worth, the health and well-being of the elderly and, through her charitable institutions in Britain and beyond, the Church seeks to fulfil the Lord’s command to respect life, regardless of age or circumstances.

'At the very start of my pontificate I said, “Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary” (Homily at the Mass for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome, 24 April 2005). Life is a unique gift, at every stage from conception until natural death, and it is God’s alone to give and to take. One may enjoy good health in old age; but equally Christians should not be afraid to share in the suffering of Christ, if God wills that we struggle with infirmity. My predecessor, the late Pope John Paul, suffered very publicly during the last years of his life. It was clear to all of us that he did so in union with the sufferings of our Saviour. His cheerfulness and forbearance as he faced his final days were a remarkable and moving example to all of us who have to carry the burden of advancing years.

'In this sense, I come among you not only as a father, but also as a brother who knows well the joys and the struggles that come with age. Our long years of life afford us the opportunity to appreciate both the beauty of God’s greatest gift to us, the gift of life, as well as the fragility of the human spirit. Those of us who live many years are given a marvellous chance to deepen our awareness of the mystery of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. As the normal span of our lives increases, our physical capacities are often diminished; and yet these times may well be among the most spiritually fruitful years of our lives. These years are an opportunity to remember in affectionate prayer all those whom we have cherished in this life, and to place all that we have personally been and done before the mercy and tenderness of God. This will surely be a great spiritual comfort and enable us to discover anew his love and goodness all the days of our life.

'With these sentiments, dear brothers and sisters, I am pleased to assure you of my prayers for you all, and I ask for your prayers for me. May our blessed Lady and her spouse Saint Joseph intercede for our happiness in this life and obtain for us the blessing of a serene passage to the next.

'May God bless you all!'

Some of my readers may be sceptical about, or even object to, asking deceased saints to pray for us. But as my saintly granny used to say about praying for them, "I don't suppose it does them any harm." And quite what the logic is of asking Christians on earth (the Church Militant, as they were known) to pray for you, but not Christians in heaven (the Church Triumphant), I'm not sure. They might even have more idea what exactly to pray....

However that should not deflect us from applauding the Holy Father's main message, "That life is a gift from conception to natural death" - and that faith enables us to meet its joys and sufferings, so that the times of diminishing powers can be spiritually the most fruitful. Oh yes? Really? Well, he says, quietly as always, "Look at my predecessor John Paul living and dying with Parkinson's." Cheerfulness and forbearance - I'll try and remember.

A bit of a burden

'Really old like forty five' is a new play by Tamsin Oglesby, just opened at the Cottlesloe Theatre on the South Bank.  I heard about it on the Today Programme this morning.  It sounds very relevant and quite chilling.   The publicity about it says, 'There are just too many old people.  As a government research body seeks to deal the problems of a maturing population, a family addresses its own.  Lyn's memory starts to go, Alice takes a fall and even Robbie has to face the signs of ageing.  Relations are put to the test across three generations.  As are those who enter the increasingly sinister world of state care.                                           'Tamsin Oglesby's furious comedy confronts head-on our embarrassment and fear about old age.  It exposes a society in which compassion vies with pragmatism and, by asking unequivocal questions, it comes up with some extraordinary answers.'  I gathered that 'euthanasia' was part and parcel of the sinister world.

Baroness Warnock and Tamsin Oglesby were both interviewed, and what most struck me was Mary Warnock's bald and, to me, chilling statement that the elderly were 'a burden'.  Which is not a neutral word.  A burden is a nuisance, something you want to get rid of - the archetype in literature, I suppose, is Christian in 'Pilgrim's Progress', who was mightily relieved when his burden rolled off.

Is it a coincidence that a recent news item was about changes in demography in the countryside and local authorities telling the government it had underestimated the future cost of care for the elderly by £1/2 billion per annum, if I remember right?  Certainly the Baroness seemed to relate economic productivity to personal value.  It's quite a turn round from respecting old age for its wisdom and for our inheritance.  Baroness Warnock was introduced as 'the euthanasia campaigner'....  To give her her due, I don't think she was suggesting bumping off all non-economic units of production, and no doubt she would choose assisted suicide for herself.  However you can see how easily we could slide into the nightmare world of 'Really Old'.