Posted on 08/18/2007 11:17:14 AM PDT by wagglebee
Slowly but surely, the political and emotional conversation about the issue of life has begun to shift from the realm of birth control to death control.
But maybe the fundamental question remains the same: Who's in charge of our lives, anyway?
It's the baby boomers' fault, of course: That generation, still largely concerned with aging cute and looking young, is only now beginning to comprehend what it means to grow old with dignity -- and to die with dignity.
We like to kid ourselves that we'll be able to control what happens.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
The culture of death does not understand that the pro-life movement cares about ALL life.
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The state determines death. Dignity is an interesting word and is almost always misused and abused, including in this article.
Logan’s Run.
The culture of death does not understand that the pro-life movement cares about ALL life.Death penalty?
What is the baby boomer's fault? Laws against "assisted suicide" and "mercy killing"? I am no lawyer, but my guess is that those acts were illegal long before the baby boomers came along.
What kind of “dignity” is it when you are yanked from your “mother’s” womb and your brains are sucked out before you are thrown in the dumpster as “hazardous waste?” Gimme a break Creamer baby. You should be writing for the “Home and Garden” section and leave the important stuff to the grownups.
Maybe the author’s experience is different but in my experience the argument that people who are terminally ill simply want to be put out of their misery is a lie.
After all medical options have been exhausted and the only things left are pain control, nutrition, hydration and bowl movements, terribly sick people still struggle to survive. People have an incredible will to live. They struggle for their last breath and show amazing strength and courage in their efforts to hang on. Maybe it’s just the cussed nature of my family and the people I call my friends but I’ve never known anyone who was ready to die.
Death is about loosing control. It is an inherently undignified process. The best that anyone can hope to do is to make it as easy as possible and sometimes there’s not much that can be done.
Personally, if I ever reach a point where medical treatment no longer has any conceivable benefit and have a choice I will die in home hospice care - in my own home, in my own bed, surrounded by people I love. But I would never consider suicide, “assisted” or otherwise.
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The state RECOGNIZES death, it doesn’t determine it. Common sense acting through the art of medical science has determined what is death, the state has merely followed their lead in recognizing it.
“Death with dignity” is just a code phrase for suicide. Death, by its very nature has no dignity—and that’s why Jesus died to kill it... “The death of death” as one Puritan put it.
Our society was built with the Christian assumption that God creates, and ends life. It’s no surprise at all that the same folks that say we create life, and can “stop” its creation through abortion and/or the pill any time, will say we control our death.
In answer to the first question of this article: “Whose life is it anyway?”
Its God’s life, even that of your own.... and you and your State keep your hands off it!
This has been my experience as well.
It’s murder; plain and simple.
Soylent Green
The more I run into people like this author, the more I wish they would get in line for “death with dignity” at the earliest possible opportunity.
There’s no denying that the treatments for some terminal disases (most notably cancer) leave a lot to be desired. And it’s understandable that many patients want the pain and indignity to be over. If I were in their shoes, I’d probably have thoughts. But the solution is to improve the treatment, not kill the patient.
What this woman and her ilk will never acknowledge is their concern that their parent’s/grandparent’s money will run out before they die.
The left has been so focused on the hedonistic pursuit of personal pleasure that they have redefined dignity to simply mean the absence of discomfort.
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