Now I'm confused, Cornflower.

Your first reference to Michael O'Neill's speech went as follows:

>>...his comment that around 75% of his members aged 50 years and above would vote against euthanasia through distrust and fear of government<<

OK, that's a valid view. They might well do so, if they were surveyed. But it is only his opinion, is it not. Which might well be influenced by political considerations.

But that conjecture now seems to have turned into a fact.

>>National Seniors has several hundred thousand members plus and the survey of its members showed 75% opposed to euthanasia<<

According to this, they did actually vote. If you are able to provide a link or a reference, this would significantly tilt the argument.

A situation where the general populace, en masse, believes that euthanasia should be legalised (the stats seem to settle around the 80% mark), while 75% of those most likely to be affected in the near term believe otherwise, should be widely publicized.

I have tried to track down the speech myself, but only came up with this:

http://www.medicalsearch.com.au/News/-Super-style-plan-needed-for-aged-care-seniors-group-46948

Nothing at all about euthanasia.

Which, as you say, represents a "callous disregard of the problems affecting the aged"

Do you have more information that you can share with us?

OOPS/posted...this
to..the wrong/thread
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=11008&page=0

how we/have gotten..things so-wrong
[or/..making miracles happen]

quote
http://www.jhardaker.plus.com/pdf/Through%20the%20Mists.pdf

<<Surely you/do-not..believe..
in..the literal/fulfilment..of that promise?”

“There are/mountains physical,..mental..and spiritual,”..he/replied,

“and the..latter-are..quite/as difficul..to remove
as/the former,perhaps even more so..and require..equally..
the power/of God,..but it..can/be done.

Have you not/just..witnessed..
the removal/of mountains of/deformity?”

“I have..indeed.”

“How was/it..accomplished?”..he asked.

“NOT/by..the assembling/together..of the great..congregation and singing..‘We can/..do nothing,..nothing!’..
as our brethren on/earth are taught/to do;

they came[toghether]..to work,..and that every-soul..
did its/utmost..[which]..was attested..by the result.

Before..Siamedes/proffered..the invocation,
which secured..that visible/response,
he had/assured himself..that his...
and their..unaided powers/were put forth..and exhausted!

;..and being..confident/that..of himself..he could do/no-more,

he invoked..the strength..which was beyond/and above;
and God would..have broken troth..if He had/not..honoured such faith.

He had/not to detail..his desires,[nor]..elaborate his/wish,
or discourse..on the benefits..and glory to/accrue;

his cry..was..a prophetic thanksgiving

for the strength..he and..every soul...
*knew ..would/be given..to them

he was..conscious/of..the fact
that his/requirements..were already known.

Everything which/could-be..done..in this hall..was completed
and there was..a pause..in the/service,..an interval
only to be..terminated by Divine action;

and the waiting/faith..of the-multitude/
captured..that action..by storm.

God had/not power..to tarry/when assailed..by/such..an-other serving-force, therefore that/sign..descended..and with-it
the necessary energy..to continue..the/work
they had..so confidently/undertaken.

It might..and should be-so..on earth,
but instead/of healing..they..inflict most-grievous wounds
and then..send/the sufferers..here..for remedy.”

“They have not/the..opportunity..even..if..they had/the power
to do..what I have witnessed/here,”..I ventured/to remark.

“God is too..wise and just,”..he answered,
“to require or expect..any/man..to perform..an/impossibility.

But in those/things..which..are well/within..their capacity
[to]-do..men work/according to that-rule/of faith..
which you have/seen exemplified?

Nay verily!

Rather,..forgetting that/they..[earthers]..are called-to
the high privilege/of..being workers..together/with God,

as/you have-seen..illustrated,..they have-been..educated into
the practice of/doing..nothing but/asking God..to do it/all.

When God works..for man it/is always
in conjunction..with man;

it is/no canon..of Divine-law
that the master..shall do/all the labour
while..the servant/gives..the/orders.

When you ask..God to-lay..the corner-stone,
you may rest assured..that He will wait/..for you
to get..the foundations ready*.

But the...earth idea.../of the matter..
is that/..a man has/nothing to do
but to tell God..what he wants
and then wait...lol..
for it to/be done,>>

dont/say you wernt/told

Pericles, "If you are able to provide a link or a reference, this would significantly tilt the argument."

Did you happen to go to the National Press Club site, I did mention that is where O'Neill gave his address?

I also apologised in a previous comment on the subject that I couldn't link directly to the subject National Press Club (NPC) speech because it was only available to members of the NPC, or for a fee. See here,
http://www.npc.org.au/upcomingspeakers/transcriptorderform.html

That is why I also think that it is unfortunate that his address wasn't published by the mainstream media.

In lieu of that you could refer to the 7.30 Report's interview on 14 September 2010 because from what I heard him say, much of his address was based on that.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s3011781.htm

BTW, I did not, as you claim, say that euthanasia itself represented a callous disregard of the problems of the aged.

Pericles,

Just to add, as I recall the survey of National Seniors' members' views on euthanasia and the reasons for those views were mentioned in a reply to a question from Laurie Wilson, who is a director of the NPC. The NPC address was delivered on 22 September 2010.

What's the demographic of the National Seniors?

(apart from not being spring chickens...)

No more did I, Cornflower.

>>BTW, I did not, as you claim, say that euthanasia itself represented a callous disregard of the problems of the aged.<<

I lifted the phrase straight from your previous post:

>>The lack of reporting of Mr O'Neill's address says something too about the callous disregard of the problems affecting the aged<<

So, you and I are 100% agreed that a poll that shows such a massive discrepancy between the views of the "general public", and those most affected, should be widely publicised.

All we need to do now is to track it down, is that not right?

>>Did you happen to go to the National Press Club site<<

Yes. But this is all I could find.

http://www.npc.org.au/speakerarchive/mike-oneill.html

But presumably, you know from "somewhere" that:

>>National Seniors has several hundred thousand members plus and the survey of its members showed 75% opposed to euthanasia<<

Where did you find this information?

Surely something this important should not be ignored.