Quote from Gordon Gekko:
i'm a huge supporter of this. in one way or another, it will happen eventually (legalization)...
Interestingly, when and if assisted suicide (or suicide itself) becomes "legal", you will most assuredly not hear the term "legalized". Especially prior to the change of law as it is argued by the proponents of making it "legal". The term you will hear is "decriminalization". What's the difference? As far as I can tell one (legalization) sounds as if it is an endorsement of the act itself. The other just makes it not be a crime anymore.
You say you are a "huge supporter" of this. But what I believe you really mean is you are a supporter of letting people make their own choices. You are not encouraging people to commit (or assist in) suicide. Same with other legislated morality. Drugs, abortion, alchohol, sodomy, prostitution, etc. Anything that is a "moral" crime. Usually referred to as "victimless" crimes.
So what you "support" in your "huge" way is a right to choose. What you support is freedom. Generally from organized religion. At least that is what I
believe you mean. I certainly don't want to put words in your mouth. If I am wrong, then by all means correct me.
Personally, I am repulsed by abortion (unless there is risk to the mother or if the fetus is not viable). I am strongly opposed to abortion for too many reasons to list. But I am NOT in favor of making it a crime again. As far as I am concerned, it is none of my business if a woman wants an abortion. Would I rather she did not? Yes. I would rather an unwanted child be born and adopted by those who want children and have fertility problems (for example).
Same with drugs, same with suicide, same with prostitution and sodomy. None of which I want anything to do with , but none of which affect me if someone else is involved in these acts. I see these things as not being criminal acts. Of course abortion is the one thing that can be argued to actually have a victim. The fetus. And ironically, it is the one "moral crime" that has been legalized in our lifetimes. Why abortion and not drugs? (especially marijuana). Why not prostitution? Why not the unenforceable "crime" of sodomy?
Answer? In most cases organized religion. Plain and simple. Abortion got legalized because it was too common, there were too many women who expressed their desire to have their right to choose. Illegal abortions, which were almost as common at the time of Roe v. Wade as the use of marijuana is today (ok, an exageration to make a point, but very common indeed) were performed under insanely dangerous conditions all to often. Which added up to the issue being decided at a time that was just right. Women's lib., the sexual revolution, distrust of the government (Watergate going on; Vietnam having just ended badly), all of it coinciding just perfectly to result in the legalization of what was a crime for so long. The "perfect storm" effect.
All of this means what? That religions dictate our laws? Obviously they do. Which means our separation of church and state is not a concept that has held up very well. And worse more recently as the nation drifts to the right.
How did it happen that the consumption of alchohol was not only made illegal just 80 or so years ago, but it was made illegal as part of our Constitution!!!?? (Fucking amazing!!).
Now we have a President that seems to cater to the religious right. OK, he puts his personal beliefs into his work, which while not in the spirit of the Constitution is fine with most people. Doesn't even bother me much. Actually wouldn't bother me at all if he were to just say a prayer, cross himself or do whatever it is he does, and then do his job. But when he has the opportunity to stack the Supreme Court with Justices who will do the same, (and he will if given the chance), then we will be in for a serious and essentially permanent problem. We will be stuck with any new appointments for a very very long time.
So GG, as much as you hope for the decriminalization of assisted suicide, I would not hold my breath if I were you (or me). Because unless the political climate changes dramatically in the next year, forget about the decriminalization of ANY "moral crimes" in our lifetimes.
Hell, we wont even have stem cell research at all if things continue on the path already taken. Why progress if we can regress in the name of religion?
(Here come the arguments...we even know from whom they will come).
Peace,
RS
