Assisted suicide is a controversial issue, so naturally it requires a sarcastic, caustic and mentally questionable touch when being discussed.
An Oct. 31 article from The New York Times opinion section pointed out, “Perhaps, as advocates contend, you can’t understand why anyone would push for assisted-suicide legislation until you’ve seen a loved one suffer. But you also can’t truly conceive of the many subtle forces — invariably well meaning, kindhearted, even gentle, yet as persuasive as a tsunami — that emerge when your physical autonomy is hopelessly compromised.”
As I’ve alluded to before, my preferred method of assisted suicide is dying gloriously in the last stand against the alien horde to ensure humanity’s dominance of the galaxy. That’s not really an option for most people, and the issue itself is much more complex.
The article’s author makes good points. It can be very difficult, if not impossible, for someone not in a situation to desire such a measure to properly comprehend it. On the other hand, the potential for abuse of assisted suicide is a legitimate concern.
As with most controversial issues, the only way to come to meaningful conclusions and legislation is through honest, open debate backed up with scientific evidence. So good luck getting that. Until then, a combination of common sense and human decency may be the best solution.
There is little dignity in death. To deprive someone of what little there is by having them slowly decay and sputter out as machines work desperately to keep them in some pathetic definition of alive can easily be considered cruel and inhumane. If that person chooses their death, then they have every right to do so.
Preventing the potential for abuse and ensuring the rights of the person in question are being respected are just as important as whether or not assisted suicide should be allowed in the first place. You can’t have one without the other because you need them to balance each other out. Otherwise, you have a catch-22 of debating that never gets anywhere.
Both topics are inseparable, and both topics need to be discussed openly and honestly. Doing so won’t be easy, won’t be quick and won’t be pretty. But it needs to be done. This is a serious topic, and needs to be seriously discussed.
Unfortunately, that’s unlikely. Politicians dislike dealing with controversial issues for that reason. They’re too afraid of losing elections and popularity with their constituents to work towards meaningful legislation. And that’s true of controversial topics in general.
Assisted suicide deserves to be dealt with seriously and carefully. It might not win popularity contests with voters, but it will allow those that desire it what little dignity in death there is.
