Legalizing Assisted Dying

It is terrifying seeing the number of states legalizing aid for dying. These laws will lead to abuse and a dangerous slippery slope. They may entice doctors not to suggest treatment; legislators may be inclined not to fund medical treatments and research, people with disabilities may be incentives to give up, etc. Legalizing aid for people who are dying is one of the only legal domains in that the law should differ from societal beliefs even if a supermajority holds those beliefs.

Assisting people to die has always been happening and will continue indefinitely. However, no one can accurately predict the future, how people may feel, or know why we are alive. In many cases, assistance is given with the best intentions to relieve the patient, their family, and friends of great pains and suffering. Quite often, these actions are requested, well-planned, and welcomed. In these instances, people do not need the law to permit them to die; they may need trusted individuals who know them well enough to assist them.

Laws should not rob people of hope. We have witnessed how scientific, medical, and technological advances have made the impossible possible. We have seen how changes in environmental, societal, or personal circumstances change one's perspectives.

Anyone who knows me knows my wonderful life and how much I treasure it. Five years before I was born, my mother gave birth to a baby boy who, like me, had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, preventing his ability to breathe. Unlike my birth, the doctor convinced my parents to let the baby die. Although I sincerely believe that the doctor and my parents made the compassionate decision at my older brother's birth, the thought that the law would condone it terrifies me.

My father taught me that people who believe they know their purpose for being alive will find a way to die when they fulfill that purpose. The mid-1960s were when people throughout the country were protesting against the Vietnam War, demanding civil rights for marginalized minority groups. The sense that everyone wanted to make the world better. One evening, around the dinner table, I asked my father what his purpose in this life was. I expected some socially-minded answer that had to do with him being a Holocaust survivor. Instead, he told me his goal was to see his three children grow up, move out of his house, and be OK. In 1979, after my sister, brother, and I lived on our own, he had a heart attack, drove himself to the hospital, and died. Every day, I dearly miss him. I am, however, comforted knowing that he lived and passed away his way. Again, I can't imagine a law condoning someone helping my father die. We should be encouraging people.to focus on what is important and what assistance they need to achieve what they want.

When my spine began to compress, my doctor asked me how I would feel if I needed a feeding tube. At first, I thought it was a strange question until I realized he was asking me about end-of-life. I told him I was ready to go when I could no longer argue. He knew that arguing means communicating, and there are many ways to communicate, including with one's eyes or head movements. I know many people who cannot share their thoughts and live good lives. My wishes are unique to me. All directives and laws are open to interpretation. It is frightening imagining a stranger interpreting my head movement as my readiness to die.

I know that there are few abuse reports in states and countries with right-to-die laws. Since death ends one's future life, how can abuse be known?

Living the way we want and dying the way we choose is idyllic. I hope we all have the wisdom to know the real purpose of our lives and when it is time to leave. I hope we all have a confidant who knows us exceptionally well and can provide the assistance we need when we are ready to die. Knowing that the confidant may face the wrath of family, friends, and the law further ensures the deliberateness of the decision. The dangerous slippery slope created by laws permitting assistance in dying outweighs any benefits those laws may offer.