authorityisemployed. IntheNetherlands,forinstance,
the system has existed for decades, faced no serious
opposition,andsignificantlygrowninuse.But thefact
that, by 2012, one in thirty-five Dutch people sought
assistedsuicideattheirdeathisnotameasureofsuccess.
Itisameasureoffailure.Ourultimategoal,afterall,is
not agood deathbuta goodlife tothevery end.The
Dutchhavebeenslowerthanotherstodeveloppalliative
care programs that might provide for it. One reason,
perhaps,isthattheirsystemofassisteddeathmayhave
reinforcedbeliefsthatreducingsufferingandimproving
lives through other means is not feasible when one
becomes debilitated or seriously ill.
Certainly, suffering at the end of life is sometimes
unavoidableandunbearable,andhelpingpeopleendtheir
miserymaybenecessary.Giventheopportunity,Iwould
supportlaws to providethesekindsofprescriptions to
people.Abouthalfdon’tevenusetheirprescription.They
arereassuredjusttoknowtheyhavethiscontrolifthey
need it. But we damage entire societies if we let
providing this capability divert usfrom improvingthe
livesoftheill.Assistedlivingisfarharderthanassisted
death, but its possibilities are far greater, as well.
Inthethroesofsuffering,thiscanbedifficulttosee.One
dayIgotacallfromthehusbandofPegBachelder,my
daughterHunter’spianoteacher.“Peg’sinthehospital,”
Martin said.
I’dknownshehadserioushealthissues.Twoandahalf
years earlier, she’d developed a right hip pain. The
conditionwasmisdiagnosedforalmostayearasarthritis.
When it got worse, one physician even recommended