‘My life, my death’: French woman battles for right to die with dignity
RFIOct 31, 2021
French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard died at age 91, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Tues. while mourning his death on Twitter.
Before the official statement, French media was already reporting that Godard died "peacefully at home" in Switzerland with his wife Anne-Marie Mieville next to him.
Godard was a cultural icon, and his dignified assisted suicide resonates with the majority of the French population who support this end-of-life option. Sadly, the elderly and the sick can't counter the clout of the power of medical, pharmaceutical, and nursing home lobbies that oppose the measure. Citizens are entitled to live with dignity, and they must be also allowed to die with it.
There is a misleading premise: the fact that 96% of the French people support the so-called "right to freely choose the end of life" is based on a false dichotomy between death and physical suffering. Transitioning to death now includes advances in care and medicine that can reduce or eliminate physical pain. Assisted suicide is not an ethical choice, especially considering these innovations.