The “Completed Life” Bill was re-submitted to the Dutch Parliament on November 7 by D66, one of the left-wing political parties in the Netherlands. This bill would allow people aged 75 and over to commit assisted suicide for no other reason than that they have a “long-term and unchanging desire to die.”
Eighty percent (80%) of Dutch voters think that people who feel they have come to the end of their lives are entitled to euthanasia, according to a Kieskompas poll of almost 200,000 people.
Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2001, however assisted suicide is still reserved for those with physical or psychological problems. The “Completed Life Bill,” which was first presented on July 17, 2020, allows anyone aged 75 or older to commit suicide simply because they wish to die.
The website One of Us explains how people will be able to access euthanasia easily if the bill passes.
“People aged 75 and older with ‘a long-term and unchanging desire to die’ will have the opportunity to have their lives ended. So, it is not about elderly people who are seriously and hopelessly ill, because those can already opt for euthanasia. This new group should then enlist the help of a so-called end-of-life counselor. Together with the requesting person, he will check whether they can ‘make their life worth living again’. If it turns out that life for the older person is complete, and that other help is not desired, then the self-chosen end of life is an option.”
READ: Netherlands sees record number of euthanasia deaths with no explanation
The Dutch citizens surveyed in the Kieskompas poll showed overwhelming support for lifting restrictions on euthanasia. The Netherlands Times reports “only 10 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement that people who consider their lives complete should be able to end their lives with professional help. The other 10 percent of voters had no opinion on the matter.”
Kieskompas pointed out that the study was striking because support for the Complete Life Bill came from all population groups and was not affected by the variables of sex, age, or education.
Christian political leaders in the Netherlands have spoken out against the bill, the Netherlands Times reports. Mirjam Bikker, leader of the Christian-democratic party ChristenUnie, told the D66 to stop “pushing through.” Christ Stoffer, another party leader, said, “Open your eyes, choose life.”
Dr. Leontine Bakermans writes on One of Us: “How can it be that as a society we see suicide as a great evil, but at the same time we would like to promote assisted suicide when you are 75 years or older? How can it be a task of the government to facilitate the killing of healthy people?”
The Netherlands has long shown hostility towards the lives of elderly. Assisted suicide laws have been expanded to target the mentally ill, alcoholics, and most shockingly, even children.
As Bakermans says, “This is unacceptable for any society, it is an abandonment of our fellow men deciding in a ‘commission’ if the person ‘has completed’ his/her life. Such a law will put pressure on older people to end their lives.”
