Monday, June 11, 2007
Eh....
Suicide!
Folks know I find society's view on suicide to be symbolic of its disdain for humanity. Thomas Bowden has stuff to say about it. On assisted suicide legislation:
Elsewhere in America, however, the political influence of religious conservatism has thwarted passage of similar legislation... No, it's not just a religious conservative thing. It's nice to have some group upon which to hoist blame for all the problems of the world, though. The denial of folks' ability to make free choices for themselves (and/or declaring those who make choices they disagree with insane) turns out to be a pretty common thing for liberals, too. The San Francisco Chronicle did a whole series on Golden Gate Bridge suicides, never once acknowledging those who jumped as people making their own decisions.
If a religious conservative contracts a terminal disease, he has a legal right to regard his own God's will as paramount, and to instruct his doctor to stand by and let him suffer, just as long as his body and mind can endure the agony, until the last bitter paroxysm carries him to the grave. But conservatives have no right to force such mindless, medieval misery upon doctors and patients who refuse to regard their precious lives as playthings of a cruel God. The fact that Bowden cannot comprehend the point of such a choice doesn't make it "mindless." Here again we have the same "people who don't think like me and who place values on things where I wouldn't must be crazy!" attitude. At least he has the decency to let them do what they will, though.
Aside from the scapegoating and militant atheism, though, the piece is a good one and explains what should be pretty plain to everyone about what the "right to life" really implies.
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