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News & ArtsMonday, February 15, 2010
Death / Books On Dying With Dignity
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Humorist/fantasy author Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease a few years ago, is becoming a level-headed and thoughtful advocate of the death with dignity movement:
Pratchett presented his argument for assisted suicide last week, while delivering a lecture for the BBC, saying: ''I would like to die peacefully before the disease takes me over.''If I knew that I could die at any time I wanted then suddenly every day would be as precious as a million pounds. If I knew that I could die, I would live. My life, my death, my choice.''
They were dignified, considered words. Even so, Pratchett expected all hell to break loose. To his surprise, it didn't. ''Some archbishops have said nasty things but I look on that as a plus,'' he says, lucidly and softly.
''Apart from that, not a single person has thumbed their nose at me."
You Pratchett fans should not take this as totally depressing news, though: Pratchett has said he's not going to "pop [his] clogs in the next few years." (Via Bookninja.)
1
"thoughtful" means nothing when coming from Paul Constant who's incapable of thought himself.
"Level-headed" means even less from someone who makes little sense and is continuously spouting nonsense.
"Level-headed" means even less from someone who makes little sense and is continuously spouting nonsense.
3
I read another article about this about a month ago, and the impression I got then wasn't that Terry Pratchett wanted to die ASAP, but rather wanted to have the option open for when he did.
Small comfort, really, considering I'd rather he NOT die, period, but hey, I'll take it.
Small comfort, really, considering I'd rather he NOT die, period, but hey, I'll take it.
4
I'm glad he's not planning to pop his clogs anytime soon. Ankh-Morpork is one of my favorite places in the world to go.
5
Alzheimer's is going to totally change the way we look at euthanasia. Our grandchildren will think we were barbarians for keeping these people alive when they didn't want to be in living hell.
6
Call me crazy, but as someone who is currently caring for my grandfather (an 83 year old man who's had alzheimer's for 10 years), I'd much prefer that people work towards a cure/treatment for this disease rather than plan a dignified exit strategy.
There's a huge difference between the situation Dan Savage's mother was in and Terry Pratchett right now. By the time Terry Pratchett gets to the point where he would choose to die, he won't know he's got Alzheimer's.
There's a huge difference between the situation Dan Savage's mother was in and Terry Pratchett right now. By the time Terry Pratchett gets to the point where he would choose to die, he won't know he's got Alzheimer's.
7
''Apart from that, not a single person has thumbed their nose at me."
I`m not too surprised. How much of douche would someone to be to make nasty comments about someone diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's? Assisted-suicide opponents are always trying to portray the doctors and loved ones who advocate for it as heartless grandma-killers, but it seems few of them have the balls to confront someone with a terrible diagnoses making a reasonable argument for his own death.
I`ve loved Terry Pratchett for his books for a long time, and seeing his recent actions in real life has made me love him even more. I wish him all the best.
I`m not too surprised. How much of douche would someone to be to make nasty comments about someone diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's? Assisted-suicide opponents are always trying to portray the doctors and loved ones who advocate for it as heartless grandma-killers, but it seems few of them have the balls to confront someone with a terrible diagnoses making a reasonable argument for his own death.
I`ve loved Terry Pratchett for his books for a long time, and seeing his recent actions in real life has made me love him even more. I wish him all the best.
8
SNIFF!!!! That guy raised me. Oh, I can't stand it. Yes I can.
He's an excellent spokesman. Went from a 17-year-old reporter to the frontman for British nuclear power.
His Alzheimer's is very strange, not that I know much about it. Apparently it affects him physically, while still leaving him the best dinner guest conversationalist in the world. *sniff* When I flew to Pennsylvania to go to a Terry Pratchett book signing, yes, before the Alzheimer's announcement, he was charming and precise and told story after hilarious story but had trouble staying in range of the microphone. There was also a uniquely strange list of conditions handed out to all attendees, which I put down at the time to PA nagging.
He's an excellent spokesman. Went from a 17-year-old reporter to the frontman for British nuclear power.
His Alzheimer's is very strange, not that I know much about it. Apparently it affects him physically, while still leaving him the best dinner guest conversationalist in the world. *sniff* When I flew to Pennsylvania to go to a Terry Pratchett book signing, yes, before the Alzheimer's announcement, he was charming and precise and told story after hilarious story but had trouble staying in range of the microphone. There was also a uniquely strange list of conditions handed out to all attendees, which I put down at the time to PA nagging.
9
God, I asked him at the time why he was only signing in two places on that US tour, Exton, PA, and Torrance, LA. STP (Sir Terry Pratchett) frowned and didn't answer, and I guessed he thought I was some prying non-fan looking for dirt.
10
Good to know he isn't going to be dying soon. I believe that he will be known as one of the great writers of our times. I've been reading his stuff since they billed him as the Douglas Adams of fantasy fiction; and even back then I felt he was head and shoulders above Mr. Adams, whose books I also like. Just not as much.
11
@6: As someone who is currently caring for my early-onset Alzheimer's mom (diagnosed at 65), I would rather people be working on a cure AND a dignified exit strategy. Why can't both happen? They're certainly not mutually exclusive. When my Mom was in her right mind visiting her own mother who was dying of Alzheimer's, she said to me, very seriously, "If I get this, I want you to kill me". You can want to choose to die before you get it. And as someone who's seeing its wear and tear on your grandfather, it surprises me that you don't see that, honestly.
13
Instead of "dignity" how about getting on with it already.
I mean I thought SARS was going to kill everyone over 60 a while back, which would have completely solved the Social Security and Medicare problems.
Instead of "dignity" how about getting on with it already.
I mean I thought SARS was going to kill everyone over 60 a while back, which would have completely solved the Social Security and Medicare problems.
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