Here’s a link to a very good commentary by Elyse Smith on a bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in DC.
http://www.cultureoflife.org/2016/09/29/assisted-suicide-d-c/
Here’s Smith’s conclusion:
“Once a society buys into the lie that our dignity and value are expendable at will, determined by a utilitarian ethic, measured in terms of our economic productivity and ability to do what we want—when we want, and how we want—we forfeit the truth that our dignity and value are rooted in our very nature as human beings and not in any external achievement, ability, or material thing. If that lie takes root and if assisted suicide is legalized, we can expect euthanasia, both voluntary and involuntary, to soon follow, just as we have seen in Belgium, where the first child was euthanized just over a week ago.
As we close out Suicide Prevention Month, let’s remember that the lives of all persons are worth protecting, including the lives of those suffering from debilitating and terminal illnesses who, rather than lethal drugs, need effective pain management, psychological counseling and community support. Life, in any stage, is too great a gift to be thrown away.”