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Wednesday, January 18, 2006
There was plenty of death ...  ... in yesterday's headlines. The United States Supreme Court upheld Oregon's assisted suicide law, and the Massachusetts Supreme Court authorized removal of life support for an 11-year old girl whom doctors say is in a persistant vegetative state.Predictably, the Oregon decision drew quick and bitter responses. The case was decided 6-3 as a plain-vanilla matter of federalism. The court decided that Oregon voters have a right to adopt that policy, and it's none of the Feds' business. Within hours, Focus on the Family had issued 2 separate press releases denouncing it. It's a matter that can be argued both ways, and in good faith. I incline as I get older to think that using government's police power to keep alive the ruined, pain-wracked body of a person who is ready to die is a species of cruelty. Nor do I understand the rancor of conservative evangelicals regarding this issue. There is, as it says in Ecclesiastes, a time to die. Is it impious to select the time oneself? I don't know, but I'm not pious anyhow and don't think I'd care to be kept alive to listen to sermons from some Righteous bore addicted to Christian self-degradation. When Thoreau lay dying, the story goes, an anxious neighbor inquired whether he had made his peace with God. "I'm not aware," Thoreau replied, "that we ever quarreled." The tale is probably apocryphal, but good for Thoreau anyway. Which is not to say there is no real issue at hand — there is. Only a naive fool doesn't know that the world is full of deformed children who would happily hasten widowed ol' mom to Tranquility Gardens in order to commence fighting over her nest egg or, at least, be relieved of regular visits to the nursing home. The bald fact of the Oregon law doesn't especially concern me, but I do look anxiously down the slippery slope.  Life and death are not so theoretical at Wake Forest's Franklin Academy, which my son attends and where, today, the flag is at half-staff. In the dark, cold, windy hours of early Tuesday morning, Graham Johnson, 15-years old and an honor student, took his life. His classmates will visit the funeral home this evening, and attend the memorial service tomorrow.There's nothing theoretical about it when it's somebody you know. Nothing at all. - - - - - www.CivilCommotion.com The Intersection of Religion, Law, and Politics Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Bob Felton at 9:56 AM |
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