 "Photo: Ashley Rosemeyer")
The Pogue Student Center hosted a faculty panel the evening of Sept. 15 to celebrate Constitution Day. The panel included Jim Fisher, Rhonda Matthews, Steve Sullivan and James Drane. David Ferster served as the moderator for the discussion of the Constitution and end-of-life issues.
Each panelist was given five minutes to give an opening statement. Drane expressed his belief that the Constitution and the issues at hand need to be discussed from many different perspectives.
Sullivan cited two recent Supreme Court cases in which Justice Scalia presided.
Sullivan also cited the Eighth Amendment, which protects U.S. citizens from cruel and unusual punishment.
Matthews observed that "the Constitution is our holy document, and like other holy documents, most people don't read it." She expressed the difference between ideal and real culture, in which the Constitution is our ideal culture, but the real culture tends not to reach its expectations.
Last to go was Fisher, who drew the connection between end-of-life issues and the current issue of government-run health care. Fisher expressed that government-run healthcare would be more subject to constitutionally sound treatment methods.
Following the opening statements, each panelist was granted the opportunity to address anything said by the others, and the floor was then open for student questions.
Before opening up for questions, Drane advised students that "certain background convictions distort…reality. Submit your background beliefs to critical assessment, and respect those who hold different beliefs."
One student asked if it would be possible for many people to "fall through the cracks" of a government-run healthcare system. Fisher responded by saying that Medicare is already government-run healthcare and observed that it has been functioning well as an organization.
Sullivan added that it is more likely for people to fall through the cracks of the corporate healthcare system due to high premiums that many are unable to pay.
Another student proposed that it is cruel and unusual to keep a person alive who wishes to kill himself.
Responded Drane:?"The wish to kill yourself is a sign of the most serious psychological pathology. Whether or not the person is competent to make that decision is a huge issue."
Later he added that a society that condones suicide may result in a culture of death.
The next student asked why it isn't a crime to commit suicide, but it is a crime if someone helps another person to do the same task.
Fisher responded with a question: "If you let people help people to commit suicide, who's to say it isn't homicide?"
The panel then discussed at length the issue of doctor-assisted suicide after being asked which countries have legalized the method.
Drane cited the Netherlands as the most prominent example and further stated that Washington and Oregon have legalized doctor-assisted suicide within the United States.
Matthews explained that the Netherlands has a system where doctor-assisted suicide isn't something that is done regularly.
"It's not like a veterinarian. You can't walk in and get put to sleep," Matthews stated.
Sullivan also argued that if a terminally ill patient can no longer do any of the things which brought him joy in life, then wanting to die is no longer a psychiatric illness: it's rational. "They should be allowed to die [in that case] with help, if need be," said Sullivan.
The presentation ended at 8:30 p.m. due to time constraints, and many students stayed after to discuss their questions with the panel members personally.
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