The Ranger motto — ‘No Man Left Behind’ — always elicits a sense of pride in red blooded Americans. Soldiers may fight for a principle and they will fight for their country, but they are inclined to reserve their hardest fighting for their fellow soldier.
This motto encapsulates a commitment to go into harm’s way to save a friend. Morality in an extreme situation such as war aside, this attitude displays some fundamental Christian values. Soldiers may not have ‘main-stream’ religion, but many have some FAITH: the belief in something greater than themselves. HOPE: the belief that someone will help when needed. And CHARITY / LOVE; being prepared to put one’s own life at risk to save another.
Many civilians around the world also perceive something powerful in this motto. The principle of ‘No Person Left Behind’ is a basic requirement for a healthy society: humans do best when protecting others. For example, marriage is not a “50:50” contract — it is a 100% bilateral commitment, a covenant. In dire circumstances, family members will sacrifice themselves for their spouse, children or siblings.
Euthanasia is a breach of this societal covenant.
The 2020 Covenant
The covenant we have together in society is not alien even to the younger generation: J. K. Rowling encapsulated the commitment to others in society, when Harry talked to Ron and Hermione at the end of The Order of Phoenix: “We've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have — something worth fighting for!”
More universally, the occurrence of COVID19 has also brought forth much that is good in people. A small public kindness came from Maurizio Marchini who, at the height of the epidemic, serenaded his neighbours in Florence every day. It gives me chills to hear him sing Nessun Dorma, from his balcony at sunset!
(Link: https://youtu.be/dhTjGS3QkYE )
2020 has given us far too many examples of personal sacrifice by regular folk who put themselves in harm’s way for others. Front-line health-care workers come to mind, but there are others such as Housekeeping staff who have kept ERs pristine for months-on-end, first responders and even priests who gave the last rites to dying Catholics, only to succumb to the disease themselves. Sadly, too many paid the ultimate price.
One health-care hero who ‘Left no Person Behind’ is Dr. Wi Wenliang who tried to warn the world about COVID19, was punished by the Chinese police for ‘rumour-mongering’ and later died of the virus.
Thankfully the majority were not seriously infected by COVID19 but everyone’s life has been impacted by lock-downs, isolation and an inability to work normally. Most accept these sacrifices with stalwart commitment, knowing that we protect the vulnerable by doing so.
The sad alternative
So, what would happen if we no longer believed in ‘No Person Left behind’?
For soldiers it would be ‘everyone for him/herself.’ That would lead to the unthinkable: intentionally leaving an injured buddy to die on the battlefield without help or support. Or worse — a soldier euthanizing a fellow soldier…
In society, family members would abandon each other in tough times. The public reaction would be rank civil disobedience and a refusal to comply with authority: in one word, Anarchy. (Think what that could mean during a more severe pandemic such as the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed ~50 to 100 million people — about half under 40 years of age.)
Pretty bleak.
Assisted Suicide / Voluntary Euthanasia.
Many countries are racing to introduce Assisted Suicide and/or Voluntary Euthanasia [AS/VE] often without providing universal Palliative Care. The Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 would allow both AS/VE and is before the Oireachtas in Ireland right now. (The equivalent to the US Congress.)
Thinking coldly — without moral values or judgement — everyone can see some sense in allowing the terminally ill to be killed. Death will erase any existential crisis; erase all sense of a lack of autonomy or dignity; relieves physical discomfort; shortens the waiting time for family; significantly reduce health-care costs etc. It seems to be the perfect solution — a final solution? (Too similar to the Endlösung der Judenfrage?) The problem is that human beings generally need to resolve their issues and the healthy need to care for the sick and dying, not kill them.
The individual, however, is never just an individual. The person is a spouse; a brother or sister; a father or mother; relative; friend or colleague etc. As John Donne said, ‘I am involved in mankind’:
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
The data from Oregon 2019 (where only Assisted Suicide is legal) shows that the requests for assistance are predominantly from Caucasians (181 people: >96%.) Curiously there are hardly any requests from people with other backgrounds. There were: 4 ‘Hispanic’ requests, 2 Asian and 1 “other” nationality. There were ZERO requests from African-Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders and mixed-race applicants.
The report does not give many clues as to why the applicants are predominantly Caucasian. I suspect it is related to a pervasive individualism in the US, a changing self-identity (inability to work etc.) increasing dependence on others and a lack of emotional supports from extended family (which, in other cultures may provide Faith and Hope.)
Euthanasia breaches a Societal Covenant
Most everyone is likely to be repulsed by the idea of a soldier euthanizing a fellow soldier. Humans are wired to care for others in trouble, not kill them. (And yes: there is a hierarchy with family members being our highest priority.)
Family and friends have to pick up the pieces of living, long after the person who took AS/VE is dead. It is impossible that every family member and friend associated with an AS/VE comes through unscathed. Vulnerable younger family members — teens and small children — are most at risk. (‘Mam/Dad did not love me enough...’) The end result is likely to be a slew of long-term psychological problems including relationship disorders, mood/anxiety disorders, suicide contagion, alcoholism, drug addiction etc.
Euthanasia was first legalized in the Netherlands in 2001so there have been no long-term studies on the psychological outcomes for the relatives and friends of those who have taken AS/VE. Some family members do consider Assisted Suicide or Voluntary Euthanasia to be a good thing. Others will say so because reality is too painful.
In North America there is a strong sense that the individual and the State are somehow separate entities. (In some Asian countries there is a sense that there is only one entity: ‘The State.’)
The state — which comprises all of us — has a vested interest in the lives and well-being of its citizens. The mental health and well-being of unrelated friends and family does affect us all.
Andrew Coyne from the Globe and Mail put it very well:
It has gone even further than a ‘public service.’ Medical Assistance in Dying [MAiD/AS/VE] in Canada is now a regular ‘treatment option.’ (Roger Foley 42, from Ontario, Canada suffers from a progressive neurological condition and his only wish is to live at home. He was offered MAiD as the alternative to living in a facility.)
This Culture of Death is getting so pervasive that it is hard to take any verbalization of a ‘wish to die’ as a sign of grief or adjustment reaction, depression (etc.) and treat them appropriately. Soon MAiD/AS/VE will be promoted as the patient’s responsibility to ‘fix’ their problems.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Dr. Kevin Hay
Kevin is a UCD grad and a rural Family Doctor in Alberta, Canada.
You can follow him on Twitter @kevinhay77.