The culture of death seeks to rob innocent human life at every point of its vulnerability. A fragile unborn baby, the brain injured accident victim, or one who struggles at the end of life are all susceptible to its ever-escalating reach.
Advocates of assisted suicide and euthanasia are relentless in their quest to expand their territory here in America. The people most frequently vulnerable to victimization are the elderly and those struggling with chronic conditions.
America’s military veterans are of particular concern. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports suicide is the second-leading cause of death of veterans under forty-five. Assisted suicide is painting a target on the backs of brave women and men suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The epidemic of military suicides is gaining public attention. Yet assisted suicide bills pose a significant challenge to helping our anguished soldiers. Society is urgently working to address the problem, but an increasing number of state legislators and governors coldly convey, “Suicide? We don’t have a problem with suicide!”
The forces of death never give up.
The Maryland legislature introduced an assisted suicide bill for the eighth time. And thank God, for the eighth time it was defeated.
Illinois worked to make their abortion law the most permissive in the nation. This disregard for human life is reflected in a proposed bill on assisted suicide that will be difficult to stop. It would be the first Midwest state to legalize assisted suicide. Like other similar bills, it contains the usual “safeguards” for patients. But it is probable, like the other bills, that those safeguards will be quickly discarded.
A bill passed in Delaware last year, however, the Governor vetoed it. This time around they have a new governor who has signaled his support for assisted suicide legislation.
The New York legislature, after a decade of opposition from defenders of life passed an assisted suicide bill that even the editorial board of the New York Post publicly castigated. It called the legislation the “most morally disgraceful bill yet,” and “the slipperiest of slippery slopes.”
Two years after Vermont passed legislation allowing assisted suicide they began tearing down so-called safeguards for its citizens. Most recently they introduced an amendment to allow naturopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to prescribe the lethal drugs. When Washington state passed a similar measure, it increased the number of people victimized.
The state of Washington released its 2023 statistics on assisted suicide where it is already legal. It marked a stunning 20% increase in participants over the previous year. Officials credit the rise in part to legislation allowing telemedicine approval of the lethal drugs, shortening the waiting period from 15 days to 7, and allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe the poison drugs.
When all was said and done, 118 lethal prescriptions in Washington were unaccounted for. There is no requirement for the safe disposal of unused poisons. The previous year there were 89. This opens the door to nefarious use of these deadly medications.
Oregon’s 2023 report reflects a shocking increase of nearly 30% in assisted suicide participants. It is partly attributed to dropping the residency requirement, thus making Oregon a one-way tourist destination for death. The youngest person to die was 29. A proposed new law would allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe the toxic cocktail.
The top three reasons people cited for dying are identical in both Washington and Oregon: loss of autonomy, the inability to participate in enjoyable activities, and the loss of dignity. Uncontrolled pain was far down on the lists.
How far will the abuse go? We only need to look to Canada where euthanasia is legal nationwide. The number of people dying by poison is alarming – even to its own citizens. According to a BBC article, during 2023 one out of every 20 deaths in the nation was caused by euthanasia. The 16% increase in deaths by euthanasia is a somber reminder the death toll continues to mount.
Four years ago, Canada jettisoned additional safeguards. Canadians no longer must have a terminal diagnosis, but simply desire to die due to a chronic, debilitating condition.
Canada wants to set its sights even lower by allowing euthanasia for people with mental illnesses. If this sounds eerily familiar it should. Germany euthanized an alarming number of people with mental and physical conditions. History is repeating.
Literally in every state, nation, and entity throughout the world where assisted suicide or euthanasia has been legalized, so-called safeguards themselves have been quickly exterminated. Life Issues Institute researched the timelines of each and has documented the slippery slope in every location. You can see this interactive map at our website.
You and I wear the honored mantle of defending and protecting innocent human life from womb to tomb. The persistence of euthanasia advocates shows we must be ever vigilant in our efforts because the culture of death never gives up.
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