“Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” – Benjamin Franklin
Dying is a controversial topic. Which, from some sort of logical standpoint, seems strange as it’s the one thing that we all have in common with each other. Sometime, some place, we will all die.
And should it not be part of our humanity to make decisions about dying ourselves – not the government and not the church.
Dying with Dignity
In Oregon we have the “Death with Dignity act. With personal awareness, and two doctor certified evaluations that end of life, because of disease, is within 6 months, a person may elect to receive drugs that they alone can drink, no help from anyone, and then when the pain is too great, take the drugs – or not.
Many suffer through pain knowing they have alleviation at hand. Others use the drug to eliminate physical pains, already understanding that suffering through pain may give them only a few extra- not precious, but painful – weeks.
A documentary
Here is a video documentary of one family, and one couple who decided to use the death with dignity approach.
There are certainly those who have a belief system that says you may not hasten your own demise. But, when it is technology that is providing a unhealthy additional week or two I would certainly not be the one to condemn.