People with disabilities, people suffering from mental illness, people who are just lonely or old but otherwise healthy, even children, can be euthanized in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Mercy killing is a slippery slope that should never be legalized.
Who could set themselves up as God to judge the quality of life for another? Where abortion is concerned we already allow the mother to play God in judging whether or not her unborn child should live or die. But, for those born with disabilities, should a parent be able to kill at will?
Several years ago Dr. Phil, who by the way isn’t a doctor, featured Canadian Annette Corriveau the mother of two disabled adult children who wanted to kill them by lethal injection to end “their suffering.” Both children are institutionalized, requiring round-the-clock care. While the mother admitted that she didn’t know if either were in pain, or whether or not they were deaf or blind, and only visits them every two months, she felt that as their mother, she should be allowed to end their lives because they have no quality of life. We’re not talking assisted suicide, this would be an act of murder, by the person who is supposed to love and protect them. And no matter how you try to paint the picture, there is absolutely nothing merciful or compassionate about murder!
Annette Corriveau was featured in a documentary, “Taking Mercy,” a one-sided pro-euthanasia film, along with Robert Latimer who actually did murder his disabled daughter who suffered from Cerebral Palsy. Even after being offered a permanent care space for Tracy, Latimer put her in the cab of his truck and took her life with carbon monoxide. He was convicted of 2nd degree murder in 1993 and served only 10 years.
In the fall of 2014, a British judge set precedent as he ruled in favor of Charlotte Wise’s right to take the life of her disabled child. Nancy, suffering from nonterminal disabilities, was born blind and unable to walk, talk, eat or drink. After 12 years, of round-the-clock hospital care, the Judge ruled that Nancy had no quality of life anymore and should be terminated by withholding food or water until she died, a death that is hardly merciful or peaceful.
While I sympathize with the parents in this case, I couldn’t help but notice that Charlotte seemed more concerned about her feeling than that of her daughter. She couldn’t bear seeing Nancy that way; she was going through torture watching Nancy in pain; she wanted beautiful memories of Nancy; Nancy is no longer “my” girl, she’s a shell, etc.
Dehydration and starvation is a painful, cruel and violent way to take a person’s life. The body is about 60% water and if not replaced over time, dehydration becomes severe and cells throughout the body begin to shrink usually resulting in coma. As the brain shrinks, blood vessels connecting it to the inside of the cranium can pull away and rupture. In time the kidneys, without water and salt, will start to fail. The mouth dries out and becomes coated with thick material, lips become parched and cracked, and the tongue will swell, eyes recede back into their orbits as the cheeks become hollow. As the lining of the nose dries out it cracks and bleeds. The skin, dry and scaly, will hang loose on the body. The lining of the stomach dries out causing convulsions. The respiratory track will dry out into thick secretions that will plug the lungs.
It took Nancy 14 days to die. No one knows how Nancy felt during that time and apparently no one truly cared. It certainly wasn’t death with dignity. We don’t treat our pets that way nor would we execute murderers in such a cruel manner.
It’s extremely hard to watch someone you love suffer. But would I ever want to give the state the right to murder my child or for that matter any family member? I don’t think so! Once we open that door, history proves it can never be closed.
“A society that believes in nothing can offer no argument even against death. A culture that has lost its faith in life cannot comprehend why it should be endured.” Andrew Coyne
