I refer to the letter by Dr. Eustace de Souza on "Dying with Dignity : a response." Dr. de Souza has been singularly consistent in obfuscating issues on this topic. He confuses euthanasia with 'mercy killing'. Killing is an act of violence against an individual, without his consent. Mercy is an attribute of power which one individual has over another by virtue of which he exercises this power as he wishes. There is no 'killing' in voluntary euthanasia as it is the individual's self volition which requests termination of life. If another individual helps him it is from compassion to relieve suffering.