B I B L I O N - A C H R I S T I A N B OO K M AG A Z I N E
But why not die? Joni delves into
the subject from the point of view of
the human being that suffers. When
is it right to die? “It’s none of your
business!” “When the pain becomes
unbearable!” “When it’s too expen-
sive!” “When you don’t want to live
with all these limitations!” “When
it’s easier to die than to continue
living!”
Joni raises the question and,
from the cases exposed and their
inherent outcomes, it’s not just about
knowing “when,” but who wants to
die, how and why! One can notice
a complex interpretation when it
comes to the distinct conditions in
which the patients find themselves,
even though all is oftentimes reduced
into a “terminal situation.” And it’s
usually not so.
From the athlete that is confined
to the life of a quadriplegic who,
even with the support of her spouse
and kids, refuses to eat; to the wo-
man dependent on life support for
fourteen years, in a standstill between
h er family, who wants her to stay
alive, and her husband, who wants
to “pull the plug.” Which side should
have the power to decide? Who was
freed from the terminal condition of
“dependency” – the sickly woman or
her husband?
With her vast experience of
suffering and dependency but also
of struggle and nonconformity for
her condition, Joni dissects the nu-
merous approaches to the subject,
whether it is euthanasia per se,
voluntary, involuntary, non-volun-
tary, or assisted suicide; as well as
“death with dignity,” the “right to
die,” “quality of life” and relative/
absolute value; even considering
the approach to the subject from
the outside, though stating that the
current tendencies in society is what
influences public opinion.
Dr. C. Everett Kopp explains
euthanasia in this way: “The whole
thing about euthanasia comes down
to one word: motive. If your motive
is to alleviate suffering while a pa-
tient is going through the throes of
dying, and you are using medication
that alleviates suffering, even though
it might shorten his life by a few hou-
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