I have written about assisted suicide specifically and euthanasia generally. See Assisted Suicide News (May 2026). That post references some others and then dives into the instance of a young woman with multiple challenges electing to cease her existence through physician assistance.
There are significant issues of morality presented by the idea of euthanasia. Despite that, various cultures around the globe have begun to allow assisted suicide. Some of the United States have ventured into the concept, noted in Who Should Live (January 2023). It remains a minority position in America, but it does exist here.
Societal and cultural perceptions and conclusions are seemingly evolving; see Evolving Morality (July 2025). The writing I have done has led me from a terminally ill 80-year-old to the 25-year-old young lady in Spain. Thousands have died at their own hand and with the blessing of medicine and the state.
In each, however, there was a choice by an adult. There was an educated and informed decision, even accounting for the emotional components that might influence an adult decision.
The evaluators making the decision were not unanimous. There were questions of whether the child was "continuously suffering unbearably." Some believed that there were "reasonable alternatives." But ultimately, the child was killed, and the law there allowed that.
The physician quoted there is less than comfortable with the outcome. Nonetheless, he is hopeful that this killing will "provide support to ... parents to discuss this option with their treating physicians." Despite being uncomfortable, he thinks the practice should be discussed more.
The Netherlands has significant specificity for killing ("termination of Life on Request") and assisted suicide. There are distinctions on age, procedure, and criteria. It is claiming the lives of about 10,000 people there each year.
Not necessarily citizens or residents; there is no prohibition on travelling there for this purpose. Nonetheless, Dutch officials claim that "this almost never happens" due to procedural, ethical, and administrative issues. But will that evolve over time? Oregon already removed its residency requirement and is broadly available.
Ponder on that. There are thousands of people self-terminating with a doctor's help each year. There are doctors deciding to help psychiatric patients and terminal patients take their own lives. And now, doctors are independently deciding for toddlers.
The implications for society are challenging and difficult. No one wants to witness or enforce suffering. But can society come to grips with killing children on a doctor's recommendation? Where is the line? Is there objectivity? Is there humanity in either acting or refraining?
This is difficult, and the practice appears to be growing in frequency and now in scope. The beachhead of assisted suicide is evolving into physicians essentially putting people down without the need for acquiescence or consent.
