Emerson Lynn, the editor and publisher of the St. Albans Messenger wrote a persuasive and compelling case for Vermont's Death with Dignity bill. The heart of Lynn's argument echoes what is heard throughout the Death with Dignity movement and points out the fundamental reason the majority of Americans support having the option of physician-hastened death when faced with a terminal illness: it's a personal decision.

Below are a few highlight from the editorial. You can read the entire article on Vermont Tiger.

It's their life. It should be their choice. We should not countenance arguments that suggest terminally ill patients should endure suffering, and that they have no voice in how their lives should end. As good as palliative care may be, it does not always suffice. People still suffer. Some grotesquely. And while there is an intrinsic sense of a human's worth, there are also external qualities; such as one's autonomy, one's beliefs, and the strength of one's familial connections. They must be considered together to understand, and to value the weave that constitutes the person's life.

It should also be understood that the patient's request is not an act of weakness, but an act of strength. We may not understand death, but we understand life, and we have our own distinct opinions as to how we should live them, and what makes us happy and what does not. That includes its last moments. That includes how we choose to say goodbye. That includes how we want to be remembered. That includes all the little details that have made up our lives to the point just before death. That choice should be ours.

Remember, too, this is not a decision forced upon the terminally ill. Those affected would have the freedom to choose their course. Why then, should we allow people not affected to control the most personal of all decisions for those who are?

We shouldn't. The Death with Dignity bill deserves our support.

Please consider making a non tax-deductible, political donation to the Death with Dignity Political Action Fund today! 100% of your contribution will go directly to the Vermont effort.