Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife die ‘hand in hand’ ........

[Dave Grubb]

..........by euthanasia at age 93. Dries van Agt, the Christian Democrat prime minister of the Netherlands from 1977 until 1982, has died by euthanasia, “hand in hand” together with his wife, according to the human rights organization he founded. They both were 93.

The news was made public on Friday by The Rights Forum, which said the couple died Monday and and would be buried in a private ceremony in the eastern city of Nijmegen.

“He died hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support and anchor with whom he was together for more than 70 years and whom he always continued to refer to as ‘my girl,’” the non-profit organization said in a statement.

The two both had been in fragile health for some time. In 2019, Van Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage while giving a speech at a commemoration event for Palestinians and never fully recovered.

[UTAH]

His work after leaving office shows he remained connected to public issues.

Not a fan of suicide - state sponsored or not. However, in the case at hand, both lived long productive lives and were hitting that wall we will all hit someday. Not my call to stand in their way or judge what they have done. The article doesn't mention if the family was involved in the process. I hope they were.

Hunter

[Dave Grubb]

I have serious reservations but I don't believe that decision should be a function of the state---that is highly personal.

[UTAH]

...that is highly personal.

Yeah, it's a quandary. Four of my friends ended their own lives. One was due to sudden onset Schizophrenia. The other three made a conscious, rational decision to proceed. They were in their late 40s and decided health issues had taken away most of their reason(s) for living.

When we think about it, many of us do dangerous things (e.g., smoking, motorcycle riding...) dramatically increasing the odds we'll be severely injured or die. Yet, it's our right to do those things. I highly doubt most of us would tolerate a Gov entity standing in our way of pursuing dangerous choices. Instead, what we're seeing, is a propensity for some states/countries to remove barriers/penalties to those who assist such deaths. No entities are advocating death - they're simply standing aside and officially allowing it to occur.

Bluntly, if someone is determined to die, there's not much we can do to stop them. However, I'm not comfortable making the choice/option for others. If people choose to proceed, either pro or con, it's all about them and their choices - not me.

Hunter

[Sandman]

I have serious reservations but I don't believe that decision should be a function of the state---that is highly personal.

Yeah, it's a quandary.

Bluntly, if someone is determined to die, there's not much we can do to stop them. However, I'm not comfortable making the choice/option for others. If people choose to proceed, either pro or con, it's all about them and their choices - not me.

Hunter

Bottom line.. I wish it never to happen, but none of my business..