But others said the plan had echoes of Nazi Germany, where disabled people were systematically killed. Human life is not in our hands, because we are not the giver of life. And the Dutch Christian Patient Organisation said some people were beginning to feel pressured into asking for euthanasia. But for euthanasia supporters, the Dutch move was a breakthrough. Jacob Kohnstamm, president of the Dutch Voluntary Euthanasia Society, said he had received thousands of supportive letters and e-mails from countries including the UK, France and Belgium.
Someone has to be first.
Global attention has also been focused on the Dutch decision. In New Zealand, a member of parliament said he might introduce a private member's bill based on the Dutch law. It provides safeguards but also recognises that individuals have the freedom to choose when they have suffered enough. The Dutch law empowers terminally ill people with an option. I would like to have that choice.