HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | 2018

MY PERSONAL TAKE TO THE ME BEFORE YOU FILM.

The film Me Before You is about a Quadriplegic who wants to die, and at the end of the film, chooses to
do so – despite finding love and had a loving and supporting family, and so had amazing opportunity to
live a full and flourishing life, as he is rich as a bottle of whiskey.

At a stance, I saw the film as problematic. It portrays a negative outcry against the disabled community,
as a whole – that with their disabilities, they would be better off dead.

At another stance, the film paves, not just an inspiration, but an eye-opener to the reality of Quadriplegia.
In real life, there are people who actually suffers like Will, who actually feels that way – who finds death
as their only escape. With this, actual human persons who has feelings for their actual lives and
experiences of disability, I come to think – who am I to criticize?

I am reminded that some people would actually choose to die, that that’s their right – I understand that
Qudriplegia is downright difficult to live with. For those like Will, who would rather choose to die, I have
my compassion for them.

However, I don’t want to celebrate this choice.

Nevertheless, I want to criticize – not on those with the actual experiences of the disability, but on the
fictional account of the film which romanticizes a problematic stereotype upon the disabled persons.

In the fate for the Disabled, the author of the book and the film may have intended to tell a good story,
but the film is not helpful at all. What is most disturbing with the story is that Will chose to physician-
assisted suicide not for the reason of physical pain he is living with, but with reasons directed towards
social issues concerning his Quadriplegia and the loss of independence.

This message implies to some people that – disabled persons, having a natural condition that affects
everyone at some point in their lives, are worth killing themselves over. That they don’t have to do it
because they are in pain, but to do it because society doesn’t have a place for them. Rather than importing
a story which looks at the problematic issue, the film imparts even to encourage it.

Me Before You has just proved problematic and controversial because of its seeming depiction of disability
as something like Quadriplegic character would rather die than endure. I cannot hold to express that I am
angry because it unwittingly associates in the storyline suggesting the only option for those who sustain
injuries, like that of Will, is death.

REASONS AGAINST PHYSICIAN -ASSISTED SUICIDE or THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY

1. Constitution. “Right to Life” is a natural right embodied in Article 3 of the 1987 Constitution – but
suicide, physician-assisted or not, is an unnatural termination of life, and therefore incompatible
and inconsistent with the principle of the “Right to Life”. Nothing in it says that we have the right
to pursue death.

2. Mala fide intention. In the era of declining morality and justice, there is a possibility of misusing
euthanasia by family relatives or by physicians. We don’t want doctors deciding who live and who

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 HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | 2018

dies. ‘Mercy killing’ should not lead to ‘killing mercy’ in the hands of the noble medical
professionals. If this shall be, this will carve a real slope where we are going to become God.

3. Eliminating the invalid. If we embrace this right to death with dignity, people with incurable and
debilitating illnesses, injuries or disabilities will be disposed of from our society – starting from
those poor who can’t afford a long-term medical attention. The option for Palliative care will thus
be put to shade.

4. Symptom of mental illness. Patients who claim they want physician-assisted suicide may be
reasoning through the clouds of depression, which often triggers suicidal thoughts. Treat the
depression, and the patient regain the will to live.

5. Emphasis on care. The motive for physician-assisted suicide is unawareness of alternatives. The
societal perception need to be altered and also the medical professionals need to focus on
rendering care rather in addition to just cure.

6. Commercialization of Health Care. If Physician-assisted Suicide shall be legalized across the

country, the commercial health sector will serve death sentence to many disabled and elderly
citizens for meagre amount of money.

REASONS WHY PHYSICIAN – ASSISTED SUICIDE MUST BE LEGALIZED

1. Right to Die. Euthanasia can be considered as a way to upheld ones Right to Life. One of the
most fundamental rights that are attached to our Constitution is the inherent concept of liberty.
Some of the rights are more personal in nature – as the freedom of personal choice between life
and death. It must be recognized that the liberty, safety and happiness interest of a competent
terminally ill or disabled person to choose aid in dying is also a fundamental right.

2. Caregivers burden. People with an incurable, degenerative and debilitating illness or disability
should be allowed to die in dignity. The caregiver’s burden is huge and cuts across various
domains such as financial, physical, mental social and emotional. Coupled with the States’
inefficiency and lack of investment on health is a mockery of the Right to Life.

3. Refusal to treatment. Right to refuse medical treatment is well recognized in law, including
medical treatment that sustains or prolongs life. Recognition to refuse medical treatment gives
way to passive euthanasia or the physician-assisted suicide.

4. Encouraging the organ transplantation. Euthanasia procedure of physician – assisted suicide on

terminally-ill or disabled patients provides an opportunity to advocate for organ donation. With
this, it will help many organ failure patients to receive organ transplantation. Not only will this
physician-assisted suicide give Right to Die to patients, but also a Right to Life for those organ
needy.

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