-taken from Irishexaminer's website-
Friday, April 10, 2009
Euthanasia talk ends in seconds amid verbal attacks
ORGANISERS of a controversial HSE euthanasia lecture were forced to leave surrounded by security just seconds into the high-profile debate, after a barrage of verbal threats from protesters accusing them of taking "30 pieces of silver" to endorse "murder".
The ‘Why euthanasia should be legalised’ public lecture by Prof Len Doyal, an international advocate of the issue and emeritus professor of medical ethics at the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, was due to begin at 5pm yesterday in the main auditorium of Cork University Hospital (CUH).
But just 20 seconds into the opening address by the hospital’s ethics forum chair Prof Eamon Quigley, the lecture — which was not based on any future policy changes — descended into a farce.
To calls of "murder is murder", "this is how Hitler started", Hail Mary prayers, and calls that "only God has the right to take a life", up to 50 protesters repeatedly verbally threatened Prof Quigley and other organisers, forcing the chair of the lecture to call for security seconds into his address.
Three security staff subsequently entered the room in an attempt to quell the abuse. Despite their presence the insults continued for more than 20 minutes, at one stage leading to a personal verbal attack on stem cell advocate Prof Deirdre Madden who was forced to leave her seat in the crowd.
Moments before gardaí arrived, one protester took over the podium to accuse CUH of selling out the "sick and old" people of Ireland.
"I have 30 pieces of silver to give to the ethics committee on behalf of these people. That’s very significant because Judas took 30 pieces of silver. They are selling out the sick and the old, and what I would say is that this ethics committee has no ethics at all. Who would hold a meeting on Holy Thursday in Catholic Ireland to murder people?" he said.
1 comment:
The Euthanasia debate!
Well I for one am delighted that professor wasn t allowed speak!
Not because hes in favour of Euthanasia as such, if he wants to
End his life by lethal injection at some stage,that’s his own business,
What really got to me is that Prof Doyal promotes involuntary euthanasia
For the purpose of cost reduction in hospitals!
Im all for free speech, but to have a group from the health board invite
this guy onto hospital premises to talk about how to save money by killing
off the patients- with the doctor making the decision which person is worth treating.!thats frightening!
Last time I checked Doctors and Nurses are supposed to heal/treat a sick person no matter what illness/disease they have, Prof Doyle was there to promote the killing of sick people without their consent to save money! I see that as a threat to myself,my loved ones . I don t want him anywhere near our hospitals, I will be old someday I hope! Or at some stage in my life I may need hospital care – If his ideas were to be taken on by those in charge of our Health System – id have to have a Garda Escort with me for fear there would be an attempt on my life by the very people who are supposed to be treating me,! Sounds Crazy! Not really when groups in our Health System or thrashing out the idea under the guise of debate and free speech!
If they are not in favour of Euthanasia and it has no use or benefits to patients ,doctors and nurses – those persons interested in his views and ideas should have had this debate at their own expense and maybe in a conference hall or college
If one of my family were in hospital seriously ill and I knew that guy was on the premises putting notions and ideas of involuntary euthanasia into the heads of anyone connected to the running of our hospitals – I wouldnt have shouted him down – id have put him head first out the window !
So a big well done to the God Squad, Youth Defence and to the General Public for shouting him down, not because of their groups religious beliefs or causes ,but for highlighting a serious threat to all of us, something the whole human race has in common friends and family ,in particular those family members or friends who are sick,old or disabled , No one has the right to take anothers life that’s murder, and not ever for money saving measures –to even speak or think that way is vicious and vile.
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