Last month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a deal to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.
The so-called “Medical Aid in Dying Act” is supposed to make it possible for patients expected to die within six months to request a prescription for lethal drugs.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a similar assisted suicide law in December as well.
History shows us that assisted suicide laws never stay limited. Countries like Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands have allowed assisted suicide and euthanasia for mental illness, depression, and dementia.
What starts as a “compassionate choice” becomes routine killing. Once society accepts that some lives aren’t worth living, the definition of “suffering” keeps expanding.
Arkansas families should watch New York and Illinois carefully. When lawmakers claim assisted suicide will stay limited to extreme cases, remember that every other state and country has seen these laws grow broader over time.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
