A reader writes:
I don't think Douthat is stepping back enough to analyze what he's saying here. He appears to be saying that a middle-aged, wheelchair-bound friend who had been severely depressed for YEARS should not be allowed to choose to die. You don't even need the wheelchair for this one; how about an able-bodied person who is severely depressed? Does Douthat have any idea how horrible clinical depression can be? What exactly is his "fix" here, other than making that person live on under a black cloud of misery?
Secondly, what on earth is this nonsense about a doctor being a murderer for handing over the prescription? The doctor is doing nothing in this scenario other than handing over the option (after checks and balances), thus putting the choice directly in the hands of the patient. Are we going to start accusing people of being murderers because they sold alcohol to a chronic alcoholic? Will the kid at the hardware store get brought in for selling rope to a guy whose wife just left him? It's ridiculous and paternalistic.
The Dish 