In an ideal world 100% of all deaths would be by euthanasia.
Instead there are accidents, which kill prematurely.
Homicides, which steal life.
And diseases, which cripple and degrade.
I've watched three of my four grandparents suffocate to death as their organs failed, blasted out of their minds on morphine, nothing more than a collection of organs with a slowly stopping metabolism. Two of them wanted to end it, but couldn't.
I suppose the only accident, homicide, and disease that cannot be defeated given enough luck, research, and effort is the eventual tiring, erosion, and destruction of one's mind so in an ideal world that would be the single cause of death, a death brought about by euthanasia once it is detected and things are put in order.
If the religious extremists who want to impose their morals on others and the private equity firms buying up all of the hospice providers are still bribing politicians to keep people from living their lives as they see fit by the time I get there, I'll be breaking the law.
I'm Canadian and when I see these stats, and see that they are rising, I get the sense that there is a greater number of people able to experience a good death.
I'm old enough to have experienced a reasonable amount of death and suffering caused by aging.
A grandmother I wasn't particularly close to, but who when I asked "How are you" on the phone, would reply "I wish I was dead". Great Aunts and Uncles who experienced Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and dementia.
And a cousin who just recently chose MAID after given a terminal cancer diagnosis. I applaud her courage and bravery. My nine year old nephew was able to pass along a message to her. "Have a good death".
Far too many people don't have a good death. More people should have the option available to them.
It's possible to balance both the value and importance of MAID with the need to ensure the system is not being abused and is working well.
>I suppose the only accident, homicide, and disease that cannot be defeated given enough luck, research, and effort is the eventual tiring, erosion, and destruction of one's mind
I don't really see how you arrive at this. If someone has a disease that erodes their mind, they didn't die voluntarily, even if they choose euthanasia. In fact, you could say this about all euthanasia. Why choose to die? The HN answer is "because someone or something made me want to die".
If someone is bit by a tick and gets Lyme disease and signs up for euthanasia, then the tick has essentially killed you.
All effects that lead to voluntary euthanasia thereby become murder.
Now think one step further. Someone did something that causes another person to make someone want voluntary euthanasia. That is now also murder.
Notice something? That's a can of worms that society is not ready for yet. Since everything can lead to voluntary death, we must now make sure that society is such a good place that nobody ever wants to die. Society won't be that place, ever.
If you're that ready to "determine the duration of your life," then you can do it yourself, without a publicly funded and legally authorized program to help you. Require anything more than you and your own devices, and you're not really as individualistic as you think you are.
I'd probably prefer to not know, and die in my sleep - surely preferred over the dread of knowing the moment, even if it would be painless/easy. Not sure, my opinion might be different if I'm old and suffering!
The moments before certain death were very relaxing for me. It was easy to identify the things that didn't matter and let go, and to make peace with my pain.
> In an ideal world 100% of all deaths would be by euthanasia.
This is the start of the slippery slope.
First it's offered voluntarily. Then it's seen as "ideal" and "100% of all deaths should be euthanasia".
So healthcare workers go from just asking to "gently nudging" people towards MAID who otherwise wouldn't. "Just think of all the money we'll spend on you and you're going to die anyways".
I'm going to bet this will be a major political issue in the coming deacde.
Instead there are accidents, which kill prematurely.
Homicides, which steal life.
And diseases, which cripple and degrade.
I've watched three of my four grandparents suffocate to death as their organs failed, blasted out of their minds on morphine, nothing more than a collection of organs with a slowly stopping metabolism. Two of them wanted to end it, but couldn't.
I suppose the only accident, homicide, and disease that cannot be defeated given enough luck, research, and effort is the eventual tiring, erosion, and destruction of one's mind so in an ideal world that would be the single cause of death, a death brought about by euthanasia once it is detected and things are put in order.
If the religious extremists who want to impose their morals on others and the private equity firms buying up all of the hospice providers are still bribing politicians to keep people from living their lives as they see fit by the time I get there, I'll be breaking the law.