Feb 11, 2017 2 min read

If you had a beloved pet who was ill to the point of complete helplessness, you would most likely take them to the vet and humanely put them to sleep.

Now, suppose you had a loved one who is completely incapacitated, perhaps in an agitated mental state, yet unable to speak for themselves, much like the beloved pet. Undoubtedly you would want to help them achieve a permanently restful peace, would you not?

Why then do we persist in making it a crime to relieve the loved one of their misery? Meanwhile, the states that do permit some form of euthanasia do so with the requisite legislative involvement. Shouldn’t this be the exclusive purview of the individual, their physician and, certainly, their family?

If the individual is unable to make that request, then their loved ones or, at the very least, whoever has power of attorney, should be granted that right. Leaving this decision to the government, the courts, or religious groups removes that last great freedom an individual possesses – their liberty.

Everyone needs to imagine a loved one who is dying, with no chance of recovery, and beyond any help anyone could provide.

Bill Brooks

Waynesburg