September 2019 – Article 2:
Ironies are so deceptively subtle, they sometimes go unnoticed. Here’s one that should have been glaringly obvious, due to the profound tragedy involved…
September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day and is celebrated in countries around the world, including the United States.
Sponsored by the World Health Organization, it is intended to raise awareness that suicide can be prevented.
At the same time, support for the expansion of assisted suicide continues to grow.
In the United States Maine marked September by becoming the ninth state, in addition to the District of Columbia, where assisted suicide is legal. New Jersey joined the sinister club in August.
Further, proponents are pushing to make the practice more acceptable, expand who is eligible, and make the process easier and faster.
Children’s Hospital Roadmap for Killing Minors
One of the worst examples is unfolding at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, which is considering a proposal that spells out a road map for killing minors without parental permission.
The proposal looks at the “ethical challenges of providing medical assistance in dying in a pediatric setting.”
Their flow chart does not include discussing assisted suicide with parents until a “reflection period” occurs after the child has already been killed.
This is an example of involuntary euthanasia – murder – masquerading as assisted suicide.
Mainstream Media Promoting Suicide
In the United States, mainstream media, such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press have been promoting the twisted idea of “rational suicide.” To be clear, there is absolutely nothing rational about seeking assisted suicide for any reason.
The Post recently ran a story, ironically from Kaiser Health News that attempted to normalize rational suicide for the elderly by treating it as a respectable topic of discussion, rather than lamenting suicidal desires as a serious mental health problem.
This is a far cry from the days when we sought to help people with deep depression, not encourage them to end their lives.
Another irony: after trying to normalize the idea of elder suicide as empowering, the article ends with the phone number of a suicide prevention hotline.
Deadly Instant Gratification & No Help for Mental Illness
And in Oregon, the first state to legalize assisted suicide, death merchants now think it takes too long for people to be able to end their lives. The state legislature has passed a bill waiving the 15-day waiting period for persons who want to kill themselves.
Belgium and the Netherlands—long-time promoters of the culture of death—recently adopted expanded guidelines for assessing and carrying out requests for euthanasia and assisted suicide.
They include persons with mental disorders, including addictions such as alcoholism. They essentially authorize doctors to agree with a person that abandoning all hope is the only proper response to the situation.
As a result, caring for such persons is abandoned by formalizing a process in which the doctor agrees that their life is hopeless, not worth living, and that suicide by doctor is the only appropriate response.
Recently a 17-year-old girl in the Netherlands chose the tragic option to be euthanized because of severe depression and emotional pain.
An article in Prophecy News Watch highlighted the evil of this case. “Is this how we treat human life? Do we put people to sleep like dogs and horses because their emotional pain is deemed insufferable?” the article said.
As the world demonstrates an ever-increasing disregard for the Personhood of every individual, pro-life advocates need to step up praying for the vulnerable and seek opportunities to discuss this issue with friends, family, and neighbors.
Sources: cnn.com; nationalreview.com; washingtonpost.com; prophecynewswatch.com; australiancarealliance.org; lfpress.com.
By Wayne DuBois
Georgia Right to Life
Media Relations Advisor