Rushing into that good night

Thank you to Paul Tuns, for pointing this one out...

Quebec's National Assembly has just struck a roving committee to seek expert and lay opinions on euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The move is a response to remorseless forces that insist on a need to debate whether euthanasia or assisted suicide should become part of standard medical practice. As a defender of free speech, I would never oppose such debate. I would argue only that the ordained answer must be short and sweet: No. Or, for those who want a more prolonged response: Never.

Once we make it ok to take a life -- your own, or an other's -- how long before it becomes difficult to justify dictating how and under which circumstances?

If a person wants to, they can take their life.  I see no reason why the state should sanction it as a "medical treatment", or why the taxpayer should pay any more than they already do, to clean up the mess.

Comments

[Texas Canuck]

While one could argue that assisted suicide could be a money savings by reducing the cost of police, coroners, divers, search and recovery teams let alone crime scene cleaners, suicide is still a cowardly and selfish act. You have certainly written about this in the past.

However, after watching several people die a prolonged and painful death, I reserve the right to say that the words "always" and "never" shouldn't be used in medical procedures.