I May Not Use It…But It’s My Right to Have It
Nicholas Kristof writes in today’s NY Times about the legality of assisted suicide.
“Mr. Newbold has started the process of obtaining the barbiturates; two doctors must confirm that the patient has less than six months to live, and the patient must make three requests over at least 15 days. Typically, the drug is secobarbital – the powder is removed from the capsules and mixed into water or applesauce – or pentobarbital, which comes as a liquid. Patients typically slip into a coma five minutes after taking the medication and die within two hours.
Like many patients, Mr. Newbold says that his biggest concern isn’t pain so much as the loss of autonomy and dignity. That’s partly why he wants the medication on hand -if he feels himself losing the self-control he has prized all his life, he can hasten the process.
“I may never use the medication,” he said, “but the knowledge that you have the ability to end it gives you so much relief.”
That’s common – many patients who get the barbiturates do not in fact use them, but derive comfort from having the choice. Over all, 208 patients over seven years have used the law to hasten death, according to the Compassion in Dying Federation of Oregon, which helps patients work their way through the legal requirements.
When patients use the law, they typically set a date and gather family and friends around them. Those who have witnessed such a parting say it’s not as morbid as it may sound.
“It’s pretty weird knowing what day you’re going to die, but we could plan for it,” said Julie McMurchie, whose mother used the barbiturates about a week before she was expected to die naturally of lung cancer. “Two of my siblings lived out of state, and they were able to come, so we were all present. … We were all there to hug and kiss her and tell her we loved her, and she had some poetry she wanted read to her, and it was all loving and peaceful.
“I can’t imagine why anybody would begrudge us that opportunity to say goodbye, and her that opportunity to have peace.” The same applies to Jack Newbold and everyone in his position. Mr. Newbold faces an excruciating choice in the coming weeks, and he’s got enough on his mind without the White House second-guessing him.
Back off, Mr. Bush.”
July 12, 2005 @ 6:17 am
But Kristof neglects to tell his readers that the Supreme Court has already ruled on physican-assisted suicide and the so-called “right-to-die”. In Washington v. Glucksberg (1997), the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to commit suicide and that allowing physicans to prescribe lethal doses of drugs would lead us towards the “slippery slope” of euthanasia.And by the way, the Supreme Court voted unanimously (9-0) to uphold existing the statutes to preserve life and outlaw physician-assisted suicide. A unanimous decision–that’s every Supreme Court justice from Ginsburg to Scalia. How often do we see such broad consensus on the Supreme Court?