To the Editor:
I am writing to this publication because I have a great interest and obligation to express my view in a very important debate within the United States and the world: the argument related to the utilization of euthanasia with those who suffer terminal illnesses.Do you believe in a predetermined destiny? I believe that, much like other parts of our lives, we have an option to decide if we want to eat or sleep and to live or die. Euthanasia can be an option when a person has grave injuries but also possesses the ability to make sound decisions and think like a human being.
Simply put, they are our bodies and our lives, to die should be our determination also. In a more complex view, if a person is suffering in large amounts, there are necessities to free or “cure” these people if no medicinal cure exists. It is not a proud existence when they live in a bed or a confined space like a hamster.
They are not independent but dependent in all parts of their lives. They need help to eat, move themselves, write, and live life in general. It can be an embarrassing life! People in opposition say that if they make a decision to kill themselves, they will die like a dog at the veterinary clinic. On the other hand, a life lived in position of a quadriplegic does not have dignity. They will always feel pain and sores, both mentally and physically. What position holds more pride: living like a statue without any alternatives or dying like a dog but with dignity?
Yes, a person can pass away on a bed in security and with self-respect if they so please, but for others it should be an option. To care for the dying without other options, enduring a painful illness or injury without the capacity to move, is criminal. When medicine prolongs the live of an individual who wants to end their life that is an abuse of power and responsibility. All people will eventually die in the future; these people only wish to die early.
Regards
Wade Troyer
