Monday, June 18, 2007

Assisted Suicide

A couple of weeks ago I watched the documentary "Dying at Grace," which depicted five people at the Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre who were days away from death. A thought-provoking film, my viewing of it coincided oddly enough with some Jack Kevorkian news -- namely that he was released from prison after 8 years.

While watching these men and women speak about death, hope, life, and their accomplishments (and also while being able to perceive their silent regrets), I couldn't help but wonder what I would want in a similar situation. Would I hold on, keep fighting, accept myself as having reached my complete journey? Would I struggle for that last gasp, go peacefully, wonder how I had made it this far? Which then led me to wonder about whether what Jack Kevorkian did was really worthy of such vehement censure.

When we say we have control over our lives, should death be one of them?

N.B.: Please note that this is NOT meant as a personal post, but rather as an abstract and thought-provoking one. I'm curious to know others' views.

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