WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!
A continuing series
discussing
the terms we use in the
right-to-die
debate
"physician-assisted
suicide"
—"physician
aid-in-dying"
When the Oregon Death with Dignity Act was upheld by
the US Supreme Court,
most news reports did not refer to the law by its official name.
It was called an "assisted-suicide law" or "physician-assisted suicide".
Likewise when the California Compassionate Choices bill was discussed,
the news reports all referred to it not by its official name
but called it (once again) an "assisted-suicide bill"
or a proposal permitting "physician-assisted suicide".
When other states propose similar laws,
they ought to consider more honest titles.
The word "death" does appear in the title of the Oregon law.
They did not say "self-deliverance" or "peaceful passing".
But "dignity" does not get to the heart of the matter.
"The
Oregon Death by Lethal Prescription Act"
would have been accurate
but it would not have been very attractive.
"The
Oregon Assisted-Suicide Act" would also be
more accurate,
but many people would oppose it merely because it uses the word
"suicide".
And the Act itself says that using its provisions does not constitute a
suicide.
What about "The
Oregon Voluntary Death Act"?
Such a title would invite exploration to see just how
voluntary death differs from irrational suicide.
California used a different expression entirely:
The California Compassionate Choices Act.
But someone who knew nothing about the proposal
would not know that it is bill to allow
a life-ending prescription to be written by a physician.
There are many human problems about which we might be compassionate
and many human options among which we must exercise choice.
"ASSISTED
SUICIDE" has become such a common expression
that it has been adopted by the Library of Congress
as one of its official subject headings.
Now even those who object to such a designation
are compelled to list their books under a heading they dislike.
The advocates of the right to die are not blameless
in this matter.
Many of the books favoring the right to die
also use this expression: "physician-assisted suicide".
In fact, it has become such a common expression
that it has created an acronym: PAS.
We speak in short-hand expressions because the ideas
are familiar to us.
But we should remember that we are always addressing at least a few
people
who have never come across such ideas before.
We should not become inured to our own language,
so that we do not consider how our words might resonate in the minds
of those who hear or read such concepts for the very first time.
What might "physician-assisted
suicide" mean on
first exposure?
If a doctor buys a gun for a suicidal person
and shows him how to use it,
is this "phsician-assisted suicide"?
If a physician suggests to a patient that he could end his misery
by jumping out the window of the hospital,
would that be considered a "physician-assisted suicide"?
And why "physician-assisted
suicide"?
Why not "priest-assisted suicide"?
Even closer to the truth, we never hear of
"pharmacist-assisted suicide".
I wonder if "physician-assisted suicide" was
invented
by the opposition.
On some levels it seems quite repugnant
for our doctors to assist us in
killing ourselves.
And most medical associations have opposed the bills we suggest,
at least initially.
Is a part of this opposition because doctors
do not want to help anyone commit
suicide?
Also, most proposals permitting voluntary death
have a clause that explicitly says that this form of chosen death
will not constitute a suicide or an assisted suicide for
any purpose
such as life-insurance claims, medical-record keeping, or legal
prosecutions.
ALTERNATIVES TO "PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE"
If we find it necessary to refer to the physician at
all,
we might better call this practice "physician-assisted dying",
"physician-assisted death", or "physician aid-in-dying"
(all PAD).
Of these three "physician aid-in-dying" is best
because whenever we begin the expression:
"physician-assisted.............................",
the next word that comes to mind is "suicide".
"Voluntary
death" seems another good alternative.
This expression does use the once-taboo word "death" plainly and simply.
We are really talking about the end of the life of a human
being—death.
And the word "voluntary" is well known to mean freely chosen.
In German the comparable expression means literally "free death".
And its opposite means "self-murder".
If we decide to use the expression "voluntary death",
we will have to distinguish it clearly from irrational suicide.
Here are the four easy distinctions to make:
irrational suicide / voluntary death
(1) harmful / helpful
(2) irrational / rational
(3) capricious / well-planned
(4) regrettable / admirable.
You will find a
four-page essay
distinguishing irrational
suicide from
voluntary death here:
"Four Differences between Irrational Suicide and Voluntary Death":
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/CY-IS-VD.html
When a physician is actually involved
in the
process of choosing a voluntary death,
it could be called "physician-assisted
voluntary death"
or "physician aid in
voluntary death".
But, of course, other people besides doctors can help us
when we are choosing a voluntary death.
So perhaps we ought not
to refer to the physician at all.
Then it would simply be "voluntary
death" if chosen by the patient alone.
Or it would be "assisted
voluntary death"
if the patient needs some help from others.
Other suggestions for positive alternatives to
"assisted suicide" are
welcome.
What about "assisted dying",
"aid in dying", "directed dying", "patient-directed dying"?
Instead of "death with dignity" what about "choice in dying"?
How does this title sound: "The Minnesota Choice-in-Dying Act"?
Or "The Minnesota Voluntary Death Act"?
Or "The Minnesota End-of-Life Choices Act"?
If we are to win the right-to-die, we should keep
away from expressions
like "physician-assisted suicide" and "assisted suicide".
We will need to work very carefully
to keep the mass media from using such expressions.
And we will help our cause a great deal
if we encourage the public to use more accurate expressions.
—James Park, member of the Board of
Directors
and coordinator of electronic communications for
Compassion & Choices of Minnesota.
Created April 3, 2006; revised
November 2006;
3-8-2007; 3-15-2007; 3-21-2007; 3-29-2007; 4-4-2007; 1-13-2008