Matters of Life and Death

Some think if a murderer kills...they themselves deserve to die. Some feel if one loses the capacity to think, to breathe, to beat their own heart, they should die. Many feel if a pregnancy occurs, a legitimate course of action is one of ceasing the formation of life. Some think if a thief steals they deserve to die. Some feel if one is mentally handicapped, unable to reason, to understand, they should die. Some might agree...if a genetic defect, such as having only nine fingers, is found in an unborn child...it's formation of life should be ended...it should die. To me, what’s most frightening about these ethical issues and practices is not the practices themselves, but the question of who makes the final decision on who is to be worthy of life. I don’t care if you're pro-choice or all for euthanasia, you still have to admit…it could all go completely the other way…I mean, maybe someday it’ll be O.K. to kill someone with a mental disorder, which…as disturbing as it may seem…seems to be the path we’re heading down (and the path we've already gone)…because it all depends on who’s in charge, on who sets the criteria.

"I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."

- Mahatma Gandhi

So all of you “pro-everything” people be conscious of the fact that whatever issue your fighting for today could be taken to the extreme tomorrow. And I imagine in the future the reasons they’ll think of and the criteria they’ll devise are endless in terms of who deserves to live and who deserves to die…yet I'll never see them as reasons, but only as excuses. Killing and the cessation of developing life are inexcusable by my books. And perhaps those that agree with me will never be heard for what the underlying truth is…that being: humanity is in no position to determine who deserves the right of life...not now, not ever.

Alive and well,
BR80