Social media platforms feature curated, aesthetically pleasing portrayals of assisted dying, framing it as an uplifting event. This sanitized narrative ignores the messier realities of death, presenting a sentimental and distorted view that the speaker finds "incredibly sinister."
The modern "my body, my choice" justification for euthanasia evolved from an Enlightenment-era philosophical shift. As religious views of the body as "God's property" receded, they were replaced by the dualistic idea of the self owning the body, treating it like personal property.
Formalizing euthanasia with strict, black-and-white rules removes context-dependent professional judgment. This attempt to regularize every decision can lead to worse societal outcomes than allowing for informal, private decisions between doctors and patients operating in an ethical "gray area."
Applying euthanasia to psychiatric patients creates a logical bind. A person must be deemed mentally ill enough to warrant the "treatment," while simultaneously possessing enough mental capacity and autonomy to consent to it, requiring them to be both unwell and of "right mind."
Proponents of assisted dying often frame arguments around abstract ideals like autonomy or empathy for others. However, a core, often unstated, motivator is a deep, visceral, and personal fear of future suffering, which is rarely admitted in public discourse.
The rhetoric of "freedom" in the euthanasia debate is misleading, as people already possess the grim ability to end their lives. The campaign for MAID is actually a request for the state and medical professionals to provide a sanitized, convenient, and approved method, not a fight for a freedom they lack.
Once assisted death is integrated into a healthcare system, it becomes a direct rival to palliative care, as both aim to relieve suffering. This creates a systemic risk that euthanasia will be chosen or promoted over advancing and properly funding end-of-life pain and symptom management.