The Last Breath in Crisis, 1 of 2

/
2 Comments

"There are people who will look at this and say: 'No. Suicide is wrong. God has forbidden it. You cannot play God and take your own life.' But you know what? This ventilator is playing God. If I had lived without access to technology, chances are I would be dead now."
--Craig Ewert

Yesterday I watched the Frontline documentary "The Suicide Tourist." It was a thoughtful, thought-provoking presentation of Craig Ewert's decision to fly to Switzerland, where physician assisted suicide is legal, in order to end his suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Personally, I am a proponent of physician-assisted suicide when a person is suffering from a terminal illness, as was the case with Mr. Ewert. I am unable to see the dignity is suffering through a horrible death, making your family watch you slowly die. Yet, there are many people who feel the moral position is no assisted suicide. Oregon passed the Death with Dignity act in 1994, which allows physicians to prescribe medicine to a patient for the intended purpose of suicide. It passed 51% to 49 %. Strange to me how close that vote was.

Moral arguments confuse me. They get too complex my little brain, but I really I don't understand the role of morality in U.S. politics. Morality can be legislated concerning assisted suicide and war (if you remember George W. Bush's speeches--after it was revealed no WMDs were in Iraq and Saddam Hussein held no connection with Al Qaeda--war was a moral responsibility), but social programs are suspect because of communism, even if they might be moral. Or something like that.

I thought Mr. Ewert's (an agnostic) quotation, which is printed at the top of his post, was insightful. In the documentary, he expounds upon this statement comparing his situation to a baby that is born pre-mature. He reasons that, for people making the "Don't Play God" argument, when a baby is born pre-mature, it is ok to play God. We'll give the baby emergency treatments in order to save him or her. If God has determined that this baby will be premature and suffer all the things that a premature birth entails, then we're going to intercede on the behalf of God. We're going to play God. But, if playing God results in death for someone like Craig Ewert, then playing God is wrong.

This Frontline episode us not as expose or a hard hitting critique of a given country's policy concerning euthanasia, but it simply presents the story of one man and his decision to end his life rather than deal with the painful, dehumanizing death in store for him through ALS. Dignitas is the Swiss nonprofit which helps him end his life. Founded in 1998, Dignitas has aided in over 1,000 suicides. Currently, a Dignitas assisted suicide costs approximately $10,500 (U.S.).


You may also like

About Post Author

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you don't mind me leaving a comment here. I know we knew of each other in college, but I have to admit I really knew nothing about you when I started mulling around your facebook page and stumbled onto your blog here.

This is a subject I have given some thought through over the years. I circulated petitions in Portland on the Death with Dignity Act when I was young as a summer job. I refused at first, but was convinced to participate for reasons I cannot remember now. As a person who has struggled for years with debilitating health problems I can imagine (sometimes therapeutically) traveling to Switzerland--in Oregon you must have a terminal illness and meet many other qualifications before you can be given a prescription for suicide. The idea of jumping off of a roof with the goal of dying and instead breaking your legs, or shooting yourself and instead achieving brain damage or ingesting pills and suffering liver damage, but not death is a horrifying prospect. I would want a peaceful option, yes.

But here is the problem with widespread acceptance of assisted suicide. Imagine the pressure one might feel if one is disabled or elderly to relieve the burden her family or society feels she places on them by living. That may be why Oregon's law is so strict, so that people cannot simply be disposed of. My worry is that after a few generations of this as an accepted practice the general consciousness would shift to broaden the terms by which we define the acceptable circumstances for assisted suicide. This is still an individual's decision, by all means. But societal pressure and perceived familial obligations can convince a person that what is best for others is for them to die. That's what gets me every time.

I think perhaps our country's priorities should first tend toward providing affordable, good quality health care and then perhaps un-medical-izing (excuse my made up words) end of life care. I spend everything I make on my health insurance, medical bills and medications. I have nothing for rent, much less for mental health care or a luxurious $10,500 suicide in Switzerland. The US does not care about keeping people alive, despite all the pro-choicers and the anti-suiciders. It cares about money and power and if the people with the money and the power finally decide they would like health care or suicide or an end to war we will see it.

Oh, and for further reading, The Atlantic did an article on Dignitas in March 2010 that was interesting. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/death-becomes-him/7916/1/

Thanks ~ Naomi Way

9/06/2010 01:36:00 AM
Brian said...

Of course, your comments are welcome, Naomi. I think you're right about future societal problems should physician-assisted suicide become a common practice. After all, it does seems that whatever freedoms we are afforded eventually become abused or (perhaps worse) marketed. I shudder to think of seeing television advertisements for the cheapest suicide the way we see all these advertisements for cheap divorce or seeing my email inbox flooded with emails about suicide the way it is flooded with advertisements for pornography. Unfortunately, I don't have a good response or solution. The idea that something can be a part of our society on a disciplined, moderate level isn't really something our country appreciates or practices.

I wish I had a better response, but I really appreciate your comment.

Brian

9/07/2010 08:23:00 AM

Post a Comment

Conspirator

My photo
I went out there in search of experience To taste and to touch and to feel as much As a man can before he repents.

Fetishes


Le Temps retrouvé

Read



Hear