A decent society should do all it reasonably can to reduce human suffering. It should not, however, do so by extinguishing the lives of those who suffer or the lives of those whom we believe might suffer in the future.
Last week, I read two stories that I found chilling. The first came from Elaina Plott Calabro, a reporter at The Atlantic. She wrote about how Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws have led to the emergence of a euthanasia industry.
As Calabro writes, “MAID now accounts for about one in 20 deaths in Canada — more than Alzheimer’s and diabetes combined — surpassing countries where assisted dying has been legal for far longer.” Between 2016 and 2023 (the last year for which we have data), roughly 60,300 Canadians died by MAID. Tragically, according to Calabro, “Nearly half of all Canadians who have died by MAID viewed themselves as a burden on family and friends.”
Every one of those lives was precious, but some of the stories are almost too heartbreaking for words.
There’s the young man who was diagnosed with what was probably a curable cancer who chose to end his life because he didn’t want to seek treatment.
There’s the older woman who fractured her hip and simply chose to die, with Canadian officials approving euthanasia on the basis of frailty.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post What It Really Means to Choose Life appeared first on New York Times.
