Vermont Media Bias on Assisted Suicide

“Lawmakers at Statehouse Open Debate on Death with Dignity,” screamed the headline in the Rutland Herald. The term “death with dignity” isn’t even put in quotes. No bias there. And note the story: “MONTPELIER—As so often happens on difficult, emotional debates, lawmakers and observers could tell at a glance Friday where visitors to the Statehouse stood on what some of them described as ‘death with dignity’ and others called ‘physician-assisted suicide.’

So, the headline writer chose sides, and indeed, decided to use the term that is euphemistic rather than accurate and descriptive. But let’s let Derek Humphry, the co-founder of the Hemlock Society, decide which term is right. He wrote in a Letter to the Editor in the Register Guard on November 7, 2006: “‘Physician’ means a licensed M.D.; ‘assisted’ means helping; and ‘suicide’ means deliberately ending life. The [Oregon Dept. of Health’s] cop-out choice of the words ‘death with dignity’ is wildly ambiguous and means anything you want. Let’s stick to the English language and in this matter call a spade a spade.”

Indeed. Beware movement’s that need gooey euphemisms to further their agendas.