By: Davorin Kopše
A little less than fourteen years ago, I had an accident, and after a long rehabilitation, I ended up in a wheelchair, but I survived. My psychological recovery took even longer. For years, I questioned the meaning of life. I wanted to die, but also to live. I intensely thought about suicide, made plans, and pondered what to write in my farewell letter. Should I write that I no longer want to coexist with the people I love? I did not have the courage to live, but I had even less courage to end my life.
Among my closest ones, I encountered emotional responses with understanding, but everyone discouraged me from taking the fatal step. The only argument was that they loved me. On this basis, I gradually lifted my head again, removed my hands from my face, and the streams of tears dried up. I live, and I am once again joyful about it.
Suicide is not socially acceptable, and aiding it is a criminal offense
According to the “modern” attitude towards life and death, one could say that a morbid attitude towards people is becoming increasingly entrenched. There is a noticeable lack of upbringing that once advocated a positive attitude towards life, while death was seldom discussed. Although suicide is not a crime under legal norms, it has never been socially acceptable. Expressions of condolence are less emotional, and many people despise these acts. Clergy, due to the sanctity of life, have denied religious funeral rites to those who died by suicide.
The characteristic of legal norms is that they are shaped based on customs, ingrained national morality, and honest interpersonal relationships. On this basis, we have written in the criminal code that aiding suicide is a criminal offense, and one of the foundations is also enshrined in the highest legal act – the constitution:
Article 17 (Inviolability of Human Life)
Human life is inviolable. There is no death penalty in Slovenia.
The right to life is the highest level of human rights, and therefore, it cannot be overridden by any other right, especially not an imagined right, which aiding suicide undoubtedly is.
As a civilised nation, we have also included in the criminal code, based on the constitutional provision:
Incitement to and Assistance in Suicide, Article 120
(1) Whoever intentionally incites or assists another person to commit suicide, and that person does commit it, shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years.
(2) Whoever commits the act from the previous paragraph against a minor who is already fourteen years old, or against a person whose ability to understand the significance of their actions or control their behaviour is significantly diminished, shall be punished with imprisonment from one to ten years.
(3) If the act from the first paragraph of this article is committed against a minor who is not yet fourteen years old, or against a person who could not understand the significance of their actions or control their behaviour, the perpetrator shall be punished as for homicide or murder.
(4) Whoever treats someone who is subordinate or dependent on them cruelly or inhumanely, and as a result, that person commits suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years.
(5) Whoever assists another person in committing suicide, and that person does commit it, but there are special mitigating circumstances, shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years.
(6) If, due to any act from the previous paragraphs, someone only attempts suicide, the court may punish the perpetrator more leniently.
Despite ancient customs, which are an important part of human identity, groups and organisations advocating for the right to assisted suicide and euthanasia are emerging in our time. They are attempting to legalise an unnatural attitude towards life. They are trying to establish a moment of despair, in which a person loses the will to live, as a definitive surrender and path to death. They are attempting to legalise surrender and an immediate path to the grave out of the constant human desire to prolong life or even become immortal.
Yes, life brings difficult moments. Diseases, injuries, despair, pain. But all of this is an integral part of life; there are no shortcuts. Anarchistic, free-spirited mental degenerates are trying to convince us that death is also an integral part of life. But it is not! Death is a boundary between life and the mystery it brings. It is a moment, not a state. It is especially not a relief. It is the loss of the ability to be aware, to see the beauty of the world, to hear the sounds of nature, to feel love, joy, anticipation, happiness…
Legalising murder or any violent intervention in the sanctity of life is reckless and irresponsible. Conspirators are trying to convince us that life can become unbearable and unacceptable for a living being. Instead of alleviating hardships, pain, and despair, they offer solutions through suicides and murders. They act like bulldozers, despite not knowing what pain and suffering truly are. They can only speculate about it, yet they try to convince us with their delusions that they have a solution, which is not a solution at all.
We only know how to save lives. When we die, we no longer win; we cannot be defeated either. We no longer perceive anything we love, cannot follow the development of our children and grandchildren, cannot stand by them, be their role model, and help them. We remain a memory, but no one wants to be remembered as a desperate person who took their own life and led the executioners to assist them.
Euthanasia is Murder
The criminal code is clear regarding murder. Euthanasia involves taking a life and is therefore murder. The reasons are secondary, and it can be carried out with mitigating or aggravating circumstances, but in any case, murder is a criminal act.
Criminal Code:
Murder (Article 116)
(1) Whoever murders someone by taking their life
1) in a cruel or treacherous manner;
2) due to actions in official acts of protecting public safety or in pre-criminal proceedings or due to the decisions of state prosecutors or due to the procedures and decisions of judges or due to reporting or testifying in court proceedings;
3) due to the violation of equality;
4) out of murderous intent, for profit, to commit or conceal another criminal act, out of ruthless revenge, or from any other base motives;
5) by an act committed in a criminal organisation for the commission of such acts,
shall be punished by imprisonment of at least fifteen years.
Consultative Referendum on Legalising Suicide and Murder
Based on the above, we can assert that a mentally deranged group of people and some politicians are trying to brainwash us into accepting that they can kill us. Consultative referendums are intended to gauge preliminary public opinion on an issue where the ruling politics are in a dilemma. However, they are convinced of their righteousness. Such a referendum is not binding. People without prejudices and conscience will proceed regardless of the referendum outcome. Given the proven corrupt characteristics of the proponents of suicide assistance and euthanasia, they will one day pass the law. We must stop them before they achieve their goals.
It is quite likely that we will need to vote on this matter again in a legislative referendum, which will be binding if we manage to preserve democracy until then. The Constitutional Court has already ruled on the constitutionality of holding a referendum on an unconstitutional and illegal matter, deciding that it is not unconstitutional and is permissible. This way, constitutionality, democracy, and normalcy become a mere farce, which could one day fatally explode in our faces. Perhaps a convincing referendum result against it will deter them from their murderous tendencies for some time, but they certainly will not give up. Neither should we. Life must triumph as it does every spring and with every birth.
Vote AGAINST in the referendum!