M.D. Harmon’s column of May 1 (“Assisted suicide never results in death with dignity”) is at odds with his usual conservative ideology.
America is built on the foundation of the right of the individual. No individual should have to continue living when life becomes unbearable.
It should be the right of the individual to choose the point at which to end his life. That choice should be made without fear of government interference in what is a supremely personal decision.
I acknowledge that transiently depressed individuals should be treated and not assisted in irrational suicide. But when a rational adult human being decides that enough is enough, he should have his decision respected and be able to have the benefit of medical assistance. Those who honor the wishes of those who choose to end their lives and provide assistance should not have to fear prosecution.
All of Harmon’s arguments rely on the potential abuse of the practice. They do not address the case of a rational decision made by a rational being to avoid a long, drawn-out process of suffering and death.
Harmon’s arguments could be made against any right. Because some people use guns to commit crime, no one should own a gun. Because some people speed, no one should be allowed to drive.
These are silly arguments that trample wholesale on the rights of the individual.
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