To The Editor:

Suicide advocates claim their legislation comes from a place of “compassion” and their intent is to address a significant societal problem. Let us define Newtown’s grave societal problem further.

Mental health is the biggest crisis our society faces today. Depression, confusion, and loss of hope grips and defines tens of millions of Americans. For the last 40 years, I have sat at the table and listened to the war stories of the deteriorating mental health crisis through the perspective of elementary school principals, middle school educators, and high school guidance counselors. Heartbreaking would be an understatement. Heartbreaking not only for our youth but also for the servant leaders who dedicate their lives to positively impacting our children.

The question is does this “compassionate” legislation address the significant societal problem that Newtown neighbors claim it does? Last month The Atlantic published an article by Charles Lane titled “When Mentally Ill Teenagers Ask to be Put to Death.” Here’s an excerpt:

“She was 18 years old and had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, an eating disorder, and autism. Despite years of treatment, she was still bedeviled by negative thoughts, and she told Oosterhoff, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry in the Netherlands, that she couldn’t stand any more suffering. He suggested deep brain stimulation, an invasive procedure sometimes used to treat severe OCD. She insisted that she wanted help dying instead.

Dutch law gave Oosterhoff the power to grant her request. In 2002, The Netherlands began allowing doctors to administer death to patients who make “voluntary and well considered” pleas to end “unbearable” suffering from any medical condition — provided there is no “prospect of improvement” and no “reasonable alternative” to dying. Eighteen-year-olds are adults and can request euthanasia even over family objections. Children as young as 12 are also eligible, with parental consent; for 16- and 17-year-olds, only parental consultation is required.”

“With 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia allowing doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminal patients, and New York set to join them in June, Americans also have something to learn from the Dutch experience. It suggests that the right metaphor for the risks of euthanasia is not a slippery slope but a runaway train.”

Yes, the legalization of assisted suicide would unequivocally become a runaway train. Where does it end?

I call upon you, my neighbors — in the name of liberty, patriotism, and all that is sacred to the American character — to, come to our aid with all dispatch. Together we must stand firm on the sanctity of life. No form of suicide is acceptable. There is always hope.

Assisted suicide is illegal. Not only does it go against the laws of man, but it also goes against the laws of our Creator. Assisted suicide is not compassionate, considerate, selfless, or altruistic. In no scenario does legalizing assisted suicide address the societal problems the community of Newtown faces. It would only compound them.

Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

David R. Kean

Newtown