I am thinking about death. There is a cheery opening for a column. Death has been around all of us this past year, people close to me have lost loved ones, I lost a friend and in the countries of the Arab world many young people have lost their lives in violent encounters between the powers that be and those who are seeking change.
Death has been a constant companion in my life. Having worked as a nurse for many years, death became a reality I had to come to terms with. I learned that dying is one of the most intimate journeys a person goes through and having been at the side of many people as they exchanged one reality for another has been a humbling experience, each and every time.
Not long ago I had the opportunity to see the movie ‘You don’t know Jack’, a rendition of Jack Kevorkian’s life with Al Pacino in the title role. I loved the film, both for the impeccable acting of Pacino, Susan Sarandon and everyone else and because Kevorkian has always been a hero of mine. Dubbed Dr. Death by the religious right in the US, Kevorkian passionately and matter-of-factly believed in the right to end our own life if our suffering has become unbearable. It landed him in lots of trouble, but he never faltered.
In Holland we have a law that allows euthanasia, with a clear protocol that needs to be adhered to and lots of safeguards in place to prevent abuse. I am proud that we have this law, that everyone has the right to choose to end their life with dignity when their reality has become more than they can bear, if they so choose. And that last part is what makes me proud. In Holland we get a choice. Only a few people make that choice, 2-3% of all deaths is a result of euthanasia every year but the possibility exists for those who choose to walk that path.
Not everyone believes in euthanasia, for some people their religion or moral ethics tell them that it is wrong, that each life should be lived until it naturally ends. Many people in The Netherlands feel that way and that is their right. Euthanasia is an individual choice, to be made in freedom.
A few nights ago I got angry. Furious even. I came across a video where Republican presidential candidate-hopeful Rick Santorum claimed the elderly in The Netherlands get euthanized against their will. To save money – caring for them would be costly so the Dutch think it is easier to just kill them off. According to Santorum that is.
Comfortably seated on a raised dais, this consummate liar told the terrifying tale of scores of biddies running around the Dutch streets as fast as their Zimmer frames would let them. According to my new BFF Santorum, these elderly folk are trying to get away from the sanctioned death squads that roam the cities, feebly raising their shaking voices in dissent while waiving their arms, sporting bracelets that proclaim loudly: Do Not Euthanize Me.
Now lies and politics go together as we all know, it is a sad state of affairs we have created ourselves. We are vocal in our scorn of those in power – all of us know how it should be done differently and we would do the job ourselves if only we had the time. Sadly our lives are too full of whatever it is we do, so we look for others to do it for us. And when they fail us, as they always do, we heap our discontent on their grey-haired, plastic heads and can yet again sleep the sleep of the righteous: We Have Told Them.
Santorum angered me because, unlike him, I have cared for the sick and elderly in The Netherlands. I have been the one trying to sooth the insurmountable anxiety of a 92-year-old woman who forgot who and where she was, what she was doing there and was sure she needed to go to work. At 3 am. I have been there when young women tried to find a measure of acceptance of the incomprehensible reality that they were dying, leaving a husband and small children behind. I have done it all, the blood, sweat and tears, the anger and the acceptance. And many times the tears were mine.
Santorum made me mad because this is a man who hopes to be running for president of the US, who could conceivably become the leader of the free world. Or so the phrase goes. Mr. Santorum does not believe in euthanasia, and to explain this he did not share why he believes it is wrong, he used the time-honored tactic of frightening his audience with lies and fabrications. It seems he is planning to become the leader of the deceived world.
My anger was for the derision of Mr. Santorum for a system that offers solace and dignity, his blatant fabrication of facts and the insult he so glibly put at the door of all of us who have actually held the hands of those in need.
Yet, after thinking about it for a bit, I have come to realize my anger was also for myself. People like Santorum can only make these kinds of silly remarks when we allow him to. Spreading lies is only possibly when the truth is not spoken. Freedom of speech is a precious commodity and as such he has the right to say what he believes. Yet, when he outright lies it is up to us to set him straight and show him up for the pathetic liar he is.
Does it make a difference that I put out my words? Most probably not. I figure the few people who will read this probably hold a lifetime membership to the choir I so happily preach to.
Staying silent however is no longer an option. It is time I put my words where my blog is.
