Assisted Suicide
I heard on NPR today that Senate is attempting to circum-legislate Oregon's law protecting suicide for the terminally ill. I am appalled by how much time and money has been spent on what I might consider calling a cure for what ails society. It honestly troubles me to think that terminally ill folks would choose to commit suicide. I certainly don't think people should choose to die. Just like I don't think that people should choose abortion as a family planning option. To me in both cases the law should protect peoples ability to choose but only because some hot-headed evangelical on capital hill has challenged a persons ability to choose to live or die and propagate the species. Personally I feel that the government should be muzzled on the subject. Unfortunately once the issue has been raised there has to be a response and ultimately there are only two options for legislation, banning or protecting folks ability to choose for themselves. I think people often confuse the protection of choice concerning a particular issue as institutionalized support for its practice. It should be viewed as a copout where the government has tossed it back to being an individuals choice.
It is my understanding that people will go to great lengths with complete disregard as to how it may adversely affect others to get what they want, if they want it bad enough they will certainly break laws. Ultimately folks will choose for themselves in spite of any law it is just a matter of the creative lengths folks go through to achieve their end. Not to mention the harm that could be caused via botched attempts. There is no way the government can stop the determined from walking in front of buses, jumping off buildings, or any of the myriad of other methods of ending a life. Perhaps we should concentrate more on the root of the problem. WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO DO THESE THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE? And how can we convince them otherwise? Can we prevent some of the situations that prompt these choices? I think Ben Franklin might have a few words for the some of the folks on the hill.
Thats my unrefined opinion. Please give me reason to change my mind. I could use a little more confidence in the governing bodies of my country.
The Quotable Franklin
Pertinent quote by Ben Franklin
It is my understanding that people will go to great lengths with complete disregard as to how it may adversely affect others to get what they want, if they want it bad enough they will certainly break laws. Ultimately folks will choose for themselves in spite of any law it is just a matter of the creative lengths folks go through to achieve their end. Not to mention the harm that could be caused via botched attempts. There is no way the government can stop the determined from walking in front of buses, jumping off buildings, or any of the myriad of other methods of ending a life. Perhaps we should concentrate more on the root of the problem. WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO DO THESE THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE? And how can we convince them otherwise? Can we prevent some of the situations that prompt these choices? I think Ben Franklin might have a few words for the some of the folks on the hill.
Thats my unrefined opinion. Please give me reason to change my mind. I could use a little more confidence in the governing bodies of my country.
The Quotable Franklin
Pertinent quote by Ben Franklin
posted by JC at 9:38 PM
1 Comments:
At some level, I suppose individual stances on these issues depend on people's ability to balance principles and pragmatism. If someone believes that abortion and physician-assisted suicide belong in the same legal category as murder, then the strictly principled stand is to declare them illegal and assign punishments. If, on the other hand, we view them as private decision about health care treatments, the principled stand is to keep the government out of the loop as much as possible, or at least within the bounds of its established role as a regulator of medical care in the interest of public safety. As you note, though, the situation is far more complex. It is rarely effective to stand on principle without regard to pragmatic effects.
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