Modern Deathwish — the Controversial Death of Laura
It is hard to narrow down the singularly worst event in the 21st Century.
In my eyes, there are two dates/events which are strong contenders. The first is May 28th 2002, when the Belgian Euthanasia Act of 2002 was implemented. The second is February 13th 2014, years later when the lower house parliament approved euthanasia for minors.
Since these two dates and policy changes, Belgium has become the country with the most liberal Euthanasia laws. Previously, Belgians and other Europeans seeking to end their suffering would travel to Switzerland — who then had the most relaxed laws on assisted dying and the right to die.
The Belgian Euthanasia Act of 2002 allows all individuals the right to die if they met two criteria — the first is that they experienced unbearable suffering and the second is that that suffering has been deemed incurable.
Whether the suffering was physical or psychological, if medical opinion was that the individual’s condition was both unbearable and incurable, the victim’s death wish could be legally granted.
The second act of 2014 permitted children or minors suffering from a terminal illness to receive a lethal injection.
Before going on, I would like to say that I am not a fan of outrage culture. This social phenomenon hypes barely significant events, parades them as if they are the epitome of evil, without fully understanding them.
Yet, there are times when outrage is justified, and in the case of Belgium’s new policy changes, the outrage is warranted.
The Death of Laura
About two years, I first read about the euthanasia of a young woman only known as Laura. She was given the lethal injection at the age of 24.
Laura suffered from depression — probably, a severe or the most severe kind. She had been seeking psychological/psychiatric treatment since the age of 21 — maybe for much longer than that.
I have no doubt that Laura suffered immensely. Psychological issues can be harrowing.
In fact, I would probably argue that struggles with mental health are worse than issues with physical health — simply because they are difficult to treat.
An individual who has a physical illness uses their mind to know there is something wrong with the body. They further depend on their mind to come up with a solution.
However, when an individual has a psychological illness, they have to rely on their mind to figure out whether there is something wrong. Yet, their mind has become an unreliable, corrupted, or pathologized entity. It is no longer a trusted filter or lens.
Therefore, I do not want to in any way make light of Laura’s condition.
Nonetheless, I believe it is appalling that the Belgian government granted Laura and so many others their death wishes.
These individuals were not diagnosed with a terminal illness. Nor were they in comas or vegetative states — which are controversial discussions of their own — but they were healthy individuals. Laura was only 24 when she received her lethal injection.
While there is certainly no acceptable age to perform euthanasia, Laura was only 24. A human brain only fully forms at 25.
If an individual as young as 24 can be approved for euthanasia, despite being in very good health, what is to stop those who are 18 or 16 from getting a lethal injection. Their brains are at even less developed state, but the same applies to Laura, who was only 24.
Law and Order
Some people may not take any issue with Belgium laws on euthanasia. This is the problem with the Law. Often, when something becomes official or legal, people stop thinking for themselves.
They start believing that the policy-makers are inherently correct. Just because something was approved by the legislative house does not make it morally perceptive.
First, throughout history there have been various laws that now have been vilified. Yet, at one time not only were such behaviors condoned, but encouraged. I come from South Africa. We had laws for some people dictating who they could marry, where they could move, and where they could live.
This was the law, yet it was morally incorrect.
Second, policy-makers are people. Just because someone is in a government position does not make them more moral, ethical or wise. It is true they may have a higher IQ, but a high IQ does not make them a better person. At the end of the day, they are just people. Their voice may change policy, but it does not make their opinion morally superior.
While these acts of euthanasia may be lawful, that does not mean that they are morally sound.
In fact, in Belgium there is plenty to be concerned about. Since 2002, the applications of euthanasia and subsequent acts of assisted dying have been growing. In 2002, just 24 patients were given the lethal injection. In 2019, 2656 people were euthanized and last year, a total of 2444 individuals were assisted with their death wishes.
Belgium also has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe. It is in the no. 5. While suicide is becoming more commonplace, I think the hallmark of an ill society is one that assists its citizens death wishes*.
Personal Choice
Sadly, we are all too modern. We, modern people, pride ourselves on personal choice.
Personal choice above all us: the freedom to do whatever we want, simply for the sake of having freedom. I can stab myself in the leg, because it is my leg and I have a knife.
For some reason, individuals all around the world can choose something and simply having that choice is sufficient. Naturally, the freedom to choose is an essential component of society, but it has limitations.
The freedom to choose compares not in the slightest to the freedom to choose well**.
For example, right now, I can consume six gallons of alcohol and get behind my car steering wheel, and all the best for whoever comes my way. It is my body. It is my car. I can choose what to do with it. But it is no way a good choice.
People make this choice to drink and drive all the time. Trust me, I know. I live in South Africa. We rank first in the world with road accidents and deaths caused by drinking and driving.
So, we can defend the right to choose all we want, but it pales in comparison when it comes to the freedom to choose well.
Another recent example in history is the voluntary consent of Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes, who offered himself — or rather his penis — to be eaten by another man, one Armin Meiwes. Brandes, died as a result, and Meiwes was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison, even though Brandes had originally volunteered for the cannibalism, leading to his death.
Some might point out that in the case of drinking and driving, that the individuals who cause road accidents and deaths are harming others, but that assisted dying does not have the same implications. Are we so sure?
Every single person has been born to a mother. What about mothers? The shadow of death is particularly long and there are few mothers — very few mothers — who are not haunted by the deaths of their children.
In fact, the suicides of children are probably the only one thing that haunts parents more than the deaths of their children. And that is just the mothers and fathers.
The concept of personal choice has gone to us modern individuals’ heads.
We are drunk on having complete freedom, but we are not willing to face that it has intoxicated our society.
We will wake soon wake up from a hangover — and we are not ready for it. And then, it will be too late to have a choice.
The Value of Suffering
Another characteristic or defining feature of the modern person is this delusion that an unhappy or miserable life is not one living. Nearly every translation of ‘happiness’ is equated with ‘luck’.
Happy refers to ‘hap’ (meaning luck) or ‘happenstance’ while in German glücklich bears much resemblance to the German word for ‘luck’ Glück. In Latin and the Romance languages the words felix (feliz or felice) denotes both ‘happy’ and ‘lucky’. There is a lot of wisdom ingrained in language.
Of course, no one wants to suffer. Psychological suffering may be the worst kind, but there are plenty of individuals who have been in agony and they have contributed in immense ways to our current society.
Isaac Newton, a brilliant Mathematician and astronomer, was probably one of the loneliest men the world ever saw. Friedrich Nietzsche suffered his whole life. Before he descended into complete madness, he drew a picture of himself with a woman during his last sane moment. Nietzsche never had a wife or a girlfriend and that pained him greatly. Yet, he also one of the most brilliant thinkers of the modern world.
Finally, I hold a special place in my heart for Vincent van Gogh. He had no more luck with love than Newton or Nietzsche, but he pioneered Impressionism and now has been recognized as having one of the most delicate, introspective styles of painting. His paintings all compose some of the most valuable pieces in the world.
It is hard to imagine the full extent of other people’s suffering. There are countless individuals who have suffered who have come before us and who will come after us.
Yet, in spite of their great pain or possibly thanks to their great pain they have given us their gifts. We owe much thanks to them.
Opening euthanasia to those suffering from mental illness is a bold step, but, in the wrong direction. It reduces the value of human life and existence to a very simple conclusion.
If you are happy and joyful, your life has meaning and you can rightly live. However, if you are not happy, if you suffer, if you have to undergo psychological agony every day, hour, or minute, then your life is not very valuable. Then, you can rightfully die. Your death is justified.
I suppose a new kind of class has emerged. If the criteria used to assess who can obtain a euthanasia is based on happiness and misery, then we are slowly creating the belief that if you do not find happiness that your life is not worth living. What a sad conclusion! What a fickle conclusion!
Closing
When I first read about the euthanasia of Laura, I did not think too deeply about it. Yet for the past two years, it has not left me alone.
I know why it did not leave me alone. It could have been me. If I were Laura, two years ago or when I was Laura’s age (24), had I been in Belgium, I may have been Laura. I do not think I am the only one.
This is why I have a very personal connection to this story and why I decided to let people know how euthanasia laws have developed and what the value of life has become in the contemporary world. And it will get worse.
The two biggest events in your life are ones that you have no choice over. The first is your birth and the second is your death.
Yes, it is true that you can commit suicide. However, if you choose not to take your own life, you do not have control over your death. It will still come.
In a way, as much as may sound romantic or idealistic, should we not consider that since we have no control over our births that the same should apply to our deaths.
They are the biggest events in our lives — ever — but there is something mysterious about having a higher power or system to govern those events.
Simply, because life is more valuable than happiness.
Life is more awesome than simply suppressing someone’s pain with a compassionate hand.
In short, life is more than significant than humans can comprehend — and humans can comprehend a great deal. Life is more than we can comprehend and that is why our births and deaths are the events in which we have no real say.
Notes
*This discussion is reserved simply for the case of providing assisted dying to individuals on the premises of psychological health issues deemed unbearable and incurable.
** A great thinker David Bentley Hart blew my mind when he revealed that the real point is to choose well. It matters not simply to choose.
References
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/right-die-belgium-inside-worlds-liberal-euthanasia-laws .
