In the recent film, “24 and Ready to Die,” the story of Emily, a young Belgian woman who suffers from severe depression is told. Throughout the film, viewers witness Emily complete the harrowing process of planning her death, burial, and even her own funeral. Emily’s friends and mother, who sadly but willingly assist her in planning her death tell their sides of the story. Her mother, who supports the euthanasia, says that there is not another way to help her daughter, and that (quite ironically) “she’ll lose her” if she does not support her in the decision to kill herself.
At the very last minute, Emily decides against going through with the euthanasia. Many speculate that once Emily knew with certainty that she could die, she could live with less anxiety, an argument that is often touted by pro-euthanasia supporters. The problem with this argument, however, is that while depression is a serious medical condition, euthanasia is not the solution.
The deliberate act of killing a perfectly healthy person is wrong. Euthanasia does not increase the will to live, mental health, and certainly not the capacity of the medical community to treat depression. While euthanasia for the ill and mentally ill seems like a problem exclusive to Europe, what many are not aware of is that the pro-euthanasia lobby is very powerful in the U.S. as well. The organization Compassion & Choices has been successfully spreading the fallacy for the past 30 years that killing the ill is a “loving” option.
The truth is that killing those who are ill, disabled, or have no will to live is a seriously slippery slope. Over the past few decades, the idea of euthanasia has gone from unthinkable, to acceptable, and is now virtually unquestioned. Further, like we see in the case of Emily from Belgium, it is now being used to kill those who simply find life not worth living. The loving option for taking care of relatives with either physical or psychological disabilities is to encourage them in their will to live, even when they would rather you support them in their desire to die. To be pro-life is to protect the most vulnerable both at the beginning and ends of their lives.
About The Contributor
