Pictured is a 10-day-old infant with his 84-year-old grandfather. Mother is holding the baby off camera ©For A World We Choose Foundation Conscious Living Project VIEWS ON ASSISTED SUICIDE Below is a reprint of FAWWCF's philosophy and views on assisted suicide and self-suicide that appeared in the Guest Opinion Column of the Tucson Citizen. The article highlights the need for end-of-life care to continue to expand its scope to include more of the spiritual aspects of death and dying. Comments welcome e-mail fawwcf@hotmail.com "We come into this world physically helpless. It may come to pass that we may also leave this world in a helpless condition." ---Eliot Jay Rosen In the July 9th article, "Death With Dignity," readers are offered only one way to "die with dignity"---either by assisted suicide or self-suicide. Although I would defend the right of people in the process of dying to choose assisted suicide or self-suicide on the basis of free will and the First Amendment, there are wiser, more compassionate ways to deal with the pain and suffering of dying other than "aborting" the natural process of death. The "right to die" cannot be justified simply on the basis of avoiding pain and suffering. According to the latest government studies, people in the process of dying report that over 90 percent of their pain is satisfactorily brought under control. Hospice physicians and nurses are on the cutting edge of pain management technique. As a former director of social work at Hospice Hawaii and presently a home care social worker at Carondelet Hospice, I have spoken to dying people who have told me numerous variations of the following: "Before I began receiving hospice services, I couldn't cope with the pain. I wanted to kill myself. Now my pain is under control. Now I don't want to die. Now I'm so thankful that I didn't go through with my suicide plans. And even though life isn't easy, I've been forced to grown psychologically and spiritually by having to deal with the challenges of dying." I wonder how many of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's 31 assisted suicide patients would have reconsidered their decision to commit suicide if they had the benefit of hospice services before they pushed the death machine button? Would some of them have changed their minds if they had the opportunity to work over a period of time with dedicated hospice nurses, physicians, home health aides, volunteers, art and music therapists, chaplains and counseling social workers? Dame Cicely Saunders, a physician and the founder of the first modern hospice over 30 years ago, once said, "If our patients want to commit suicide, we're not doing our job. As far as helplessness and loss of control as a reason to commit suicide, dying people have told me early on, "The day I can't get out of bed by myself, or have to have my bottom wiped by someone else, I don't want to live anymore." But the day this "will-to-live" litmus test arrives, their surrender to the transformational process of dying allows them to accept life with fewer conditions. If people are sufficiently supported through the dying process---physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually, even though they know that physical cure is unavailable, as long as there is breath---it is never too late for inner healing. Death is not the opposite of life. Death is the opposite of birth. We come into this world physically helpless. It may come to pass that we may also leave this world in a helpless condition. Perhaps this enforced helplessness is one last opportunity given to us to learn to gracefully receive love and assistance from others before we move on the Great Unknown. An extraordinary study of suicide survivors was conducted by psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Greyson. He found that people who had attempted suicide, even up to eight times, ceased further attempts immediately after their first near-death experience. The reports of these individuals indicate that after they had a firsthand experience of the "Other Side," they literally "saw the light" and realized that suicide was no escape and no longer an option for them. Death is not just a medical event. We cannot be compared to wounded animals in need of mercy killings. Through direct experience of who we are in our spiritual essence, we will discover for ourselves what death is. In the words of the poet Rabindranath Tagore, "Death is not the extinguishing of the Light. It is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come." Even though it cannot be absolutely proven at this time in history, there is mounting scientific and anecdotal evidence that death is a transition to another reality and that we are powerful spiritual beings in the process of awakening. The experience of dying and death, even with its possible pain and suffering, is part of this awakening. Before the advent of modern dentistry, the raging pain of toothaches and abscesses drove people to killing themselves. Nowadays, to resort to such extreme measures is unnecessary in light of advances in dentistry. Similarly, the demand for assisted and self-suicide will diminish to the extent that we better deliver truly holistic, compassionate care that includes a science of spirituality that helps people prepare for a more healing passage throughout life, and not just at death's door. Eliot Jay Rosen LISW, ACSW Director For A World We Choose Foundation A non-profit charitable and educational organization (501c3) The author can be reached at: website: www.fawwcf.org email: eliotrosen@hotmail.com phone: (808) 965-1279 orders: (877) 965-1279