The Daily Brew (06.0130)

Monday's Brew*
Flavor du Jour: Euthanasia

Killing One’s Self Is Such a Hassle
by Kevin, Special Corresblogdent from Dane Bramage

In a couple weeks we will mark the second anniversary of my cousin’s suicide. He was alone when he died being in Hawaii and his family in Ohio. He made at least one other attempt at suicide that I know of and he talked about killing himself often. When he succeeded he had help. He had the internet.

You see he had closed his car in his garage. He taped a tube from the exhaust into the car. He handcuffed himself to the steering wheel and threw the keys out the window where he could not reach them. All suggestions, we learned later, that he found on various suicide websites.

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Nothing. It is more closely related to the price of tea in England. A doctor there was diagnosed with a terminal debilitating disease. She decided to end her life even though she had not developed anything but the mildest symptoms. She went to Switzerland to have a doctor assisted suicide. Prior to killing herself she expressed her disappointment at the hassle of having to go to Zurich and said she wished that doctor assisted suicide was legal in the U.K. And of course all the pro-euthanasia groups rallied around her "last words".

I don’t believe suicide to be an immoral act per se. People know how much pain they can handle or what quality of life they want for themselves and how much of a burden they want to be on others. But legalizing assisted suicide is not the way. Pro-euthanasia groups are quick to point out that they don’t want assisted suicide for teenagers, or mentally disabled people. Why draw any kind of line? It is a dangerous thing for the state to endorse any form of assisted suicide, a mere goosestep from state ordered murder. People determined to end their own lives will find a way. My cousin taught me that.


(* Note: The Daily Brew attempts to engage ideas and address contemporary themes with truthful and relevant principles for the purpose of positively impacting our culture. Thank you, Kevin, for permission to post this original piece at Bloggin' Outloud. For more on who Kevin is and why he blogs, read this.)

Picture Source: Lutherans for Life
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