Editor:
Thank you, North Coast Journal. With the publication of “Choosing Death” (April 25) you have done the community a great service. Fear of death is one of the major compulsions underpinning religions and other superstitions which try to ameliorate fear by providing exculpatory alternatives. On the other hand, Josephine Johnson’s exemplary article does that for the growing multitude of pragmatic people who accept the inevitability of death and wish to deal with it on their own terms.
There is nothing uplifting or compensatory about enduring pain or the slow deterioration accompanying many infirming conditions. What is truly heroic is accepting the inevitable and dealing with death in the same manner as we deal with life. At our best, we gather the facts, make an informed decision, and carry out the required effort. The story of Reg and Betty Dawson is an inspiration to all who accept the finite realities of existence and should be reassuring to those who wonder about, and those who accept, the end-point of a well lived life.
Larry Hourany, McKinleyville
This article appears in The Disappearing Railroad Blues.
I strongly disagree that ” fear of death is one of the major compulsions underpinning religion”. For Christians, a desire to to live in harmony with God’s will, being the best person you can be should be the reason for belief. Being at peace regardless of your health or circumstances is the major benefit of following the Christian path. I watched my mother deteriorate from Parkinsons for years, and she enjoyed the company of her husband, her kids, her grandkids and her great-grandkids. She had peace about her life, but she also chose to have no life-saving measures, including CPR, after a certain point. Everyone has to make their own choices about these issues, but Larry chooses to dismiss those who have chosen a religious lifestyle as “superstitious”, and to hold up assisted suicide as the obvious logical choice for right-thinking people.