Death with Dignity Act – a lawful right we should respect

Do we have the right to determine our own death? In Oregon we do, under certain criteria. The Death with Dignity Act, passed by voters in 1997, allows mentally competent adults who are facing a terminal health situation to make that decision. They must acquire their doctor’s permission and they must establish Oregon residency, which takes months. It is not that people can just decide to randomly kill themselves when they feel depressed. There must be something life-threatening that would make death a humane choice, should they make it.

Even though this is perfectly legal, it isn’t moral, in the minds of every citizen. Life is precious, every moment is precious, to those who do not stand in support of this act. At our editors’ meeting table, the Advocate discussed the death of Brittany Maynard, the young woman who moved to Oregon to end her life last month before the non-operable tumor in her head would eventually do so. Some on the Advocate puzzled at this conundrum, not sure how we felt about it. Killing yourself in general is not okay, and we don’t like the idea of it. However, some of us believe Maynard’s act was heroic and that she, herself, has become an advocate for those who think it too controversial to make their death requests known, much like coming out of the closet. At one point it was mentioned that social media has contributed to many revolutions in our evolving society. Social media is what carried Maynard’s perplexing predicament from the computer screen to American’s dining tables.

Whether we, as individuals, think the Death with Dignity Act is right or wrong isn’t important. Everyone you talk to is going to have a different view. What stands out among the clutter of such a morally infused topic, is our mutual agreement that, whether we liked the idea of assisted suicide or not, we don’t have the right to make those choices for the people who seek out that option. If it already is legal, we can’t condemn those who have done something in accordance with the law.

Don’t get us wrong. We can believe the act to be a sin, wrong or such, but in the end, our personal opinion doesn’t matter. Ironic thing to say in an editorial, isn’t it?

The rights of people are to be upheld. The right to make our own choices is to be upheld; this is what The Advocate believes. This idea does not just end with the Death with Dignity Act, but can also be applied to social scenarios such as abortion, gay marriage, marijuana – anything that we as a society believe needs to be reformed, outside of non-negotiable moral principles such as child pornography, slavery, rape, murder, et al.

Keep in mind, we at The Advocate do not all think the same. Some of us adamantly oppose some of the actions being taken under the assisted suicide law. What that means is those who oppose have every right to stand outside of Hobby Lobby, Planned Parenthood, or whatever institution, and display opposition. Freedom in America goes both ways: the freedom to do, and the freedom to not do.

The majority of The Advocate editorial board believes that when we come to the realization that everyone has different views and that it is impossible for everyone to think the same, then it is easier to not wage cultural war. We can have our debates, but not get hurt about everything. There are a lot of  angry people mad at the choices other people make. On the Internet, people spew hurtful comments towards Brittany Maynard and Robin Williams because they have their opinions but they do not fully understand the situation that particular individuals may be in. The reality is, we can’t.