“Thinking about Death” was the title of my Feb. 23 blog post, and it was partly about what I am calling “death control.” Since that is such an important, and controversial, issue, I am writing again about that matter.
Death
Control is Not Euthanasia
First,
it is important to note that “death control” is not euthanasia, which is
illegal in every state in the U.S.
One page on The CompassionAndChoices.org
website (see here) states this
clearly: “Medical aid in dying is fundamentally different from euthanasia.”
Here’s why:
Euthanasia is an intentional act by which another person (not the dying person) administers the medication. In contrast, medical aid in dying requires the patient to be able to take the medication themselves and therefore always remain in control.
Thus,
if used soon enough, MAID (medical aid [or assistance] in dying) can be used by
people suffering from cancer, ALS, MS, or other progressively debilitating diseases—but
not with those suffering from acute dementia. (This latter is a very sticky
issue that I will think/write more about later.)
Death
Control is Not Suicide
The
term “physician-assisted suicide” (PAS) has long been used, and terminally ill
people who have taken means to end their lives have often been said to have
committed suicide. But increasingly, that is being seen to be a
negative/judgmental term that should be avoided.
Citing
the same CompassionAndChoices webpage, many leading medical organizations “have
all adopted policies opposing the use of the terms ‘suicide’ and ‘assisted
suicide’ to describe the medical practice of aid in dying.”
Here
are some differences between MAID and suicide (h/t to suicideinfo.ca):
**
Suicide is often carried out alone and in secrecy, leaving loved ones with devastating
grief; MAID involves decision-making informed by medical personnel and usually includes
loved ones.
**
Suicide is usually due to mental pain: distress, loss of meaning and purpose in
life, and psychological burdens considered too heavy to bear any longer; MAID
is chosen by those whose death is apparently inevitable in a matter of several
weeks or a few months because of serious physical illness.
**
Suicide is often carried out in violent ways (such as by self-inflicted gunshot);
MAID uses non-violent means provided by trained professionals.
So,
What is Death Control?
Death control means terminally ill
people having the right to choose ending their life at the time and place of
their choice—and with grace and dignity. Making such choices legal and practicable
is the purpose of these organizations:
Compassion &
Choices
Death with Dignity National
Center
Final Exit Network
Among
other things, these organizations are seeking to increase the number of states
where MAID is legal, and that is a good and important work. Several states are
considering such legislation at the present time; sadly, Missouri is not. (See this map for the situation in all states.)
Last
week there was an intriguing obituary in a New
York newspaper: “Martha Schroeder died with dignity at home on the afternoon of
February 25, 2021. She was 90 years old. Her fear of losing control to dementia
and blindness was peacefully put to rest.”
Although
there is currently a MAID bill before the New York legislature, assisted death
is not yet legal in that state. But if, and when, such legislation is enacted,
in N.Y. and states across the country, perhaps an increasing number of
obituaries will report people dying with dignity—and by MAID.
Such
death control seems to be a desirable, humane, and compassionate way to deal
with the lingering suffering of terminally ill patients and the futile expenses
of keeping people alive in spite of an extremely low quality of life.
For
all of us, death is inevitable. But since for many terminally ill people death
with dignity is something that can be controlled, why don’t we actively seek to
make that a possibility for those who desire to make that choice?
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