Sarco heats things up. And has Switzerland once again debating how far euthanasia should go. Two opposing opinions reports Blick.
Joschka Schaffner, Editor News, Ringier Media Switzerland
Of course, the suicide capsule is a PR coup. Of course, there are many unresolved issues – legal, medical, ethical. And of course, the people and organisations behind it need to be critically examined. But the important thing is that Sarco is finally getting the Swiss talking about death again. Because our country plays an important role in this.
Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world that allows assisted suicide. That should make us proud. Here, the right to life is interpreted consistently. Whoever has it should also be allowed to decide when it ends. Fortunately, we are moving away from the Christian morality of the “right” and “wrong” way to die. What is irreverent is not the death capsule, but imposing on other people how they should live or die.
It couldn’t be more humane
This does not make death banal. Nor does it dehumanise it, as another newspaper has claimed. Instead, is it not rather dehumanising to deny people who want to die the right to take their own lives in a plastic box at the touch of a button, even though they want to?
Asking disparagingly how many people really want to do this misses the point: in Switzerland, people are allowed to die. And of course, people are allowed to swear about it. About euthanasia itself and about the piles of plastic, perspex and metal that are flooded with nitrogen.
We should be grateful that both are possible. And hope that other countries will soon see it the same way.
Death is never trivial
Peter Aeschlimann, Editor News, Ringier Media Switzerland
When the Sarco was unveiled in Zurich, it was briefly thought that the inventor Philip Nitschke was about to jump out of his suicide apparatus and – fool that he is – hold a mirror up to the audience: “April Fool’s Day!”, all just a tasteless satire.
But Nitschke is deadly serious. In his capsule, which looks like a slot machine in Las Vegas, a person is supposed to die as soon as possible. There is only one button in the Sarco. Pressing it from the inside causes nitrogen to flow into the cabin – after a few seconds it’s “game over”.
It is obvious that Nitschke chose Switzerland of all places for the premiere of his macabre machine: assisted suicide is legal in the Swiss Confederation. However, death at the push of a button is never allowed here.
A very sad idea
Anyone who is seriously concerned about dying draws up a living will and refrains from life-prolonging measures in the event that a dignified existence is no longer possible. Anyone who is a member of the euthanasia organisation Exit also deserves our respect. If a suffering person can no longer endure life, they should be allowed to end it – with attentive support.
In Sarco, however, dying is trivialised and degraded to a low-threshold final act. Goethe’s Werther for the Playstation generation – a very sad idea!
Switzerland has one of the highest suicide rates. It would be better to invest more energy in prevention – and pull the plug on Sarco immediately.
