Recent Death Causes Debate Over "Mercy" Killing and Assisted Suicide

An Ohio man’s killing of his hospitalized wife this month has instigated further discussion concerning the legality and morality of so-called “mercy” killings.  John Wise shot his wife, Barbara, in the head to end her life a few months after she had reportedly suffered from multiple aneurysms.  While her condition seemed somewhat stable according to Wise’s recent reports to friends and family, her doctors remained uncertain of her future and suggested that she would be unable to care for herself following her hospital stay.

While Wise has not yet been arraigned, reports indicate that his wife never explicitly asked her husband to end her life even though she was conscious and able to speak at times according to Wise.  It was noted that the couple possessed living wills which asked that they not be kept alive on life support, but Barbara’s condition did not require life support.  Wise faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. 

The idea of legalized mercy killings executed at the request of a gravely ill or terminal individual has caused considerable controversy.  It is an issue made perhaps most infamous by Dr. Kevorkian’s numerous assisted suicides in the 1990s.  The morality of the idea of assisted suicides or mercy killings remains a heated debate, with some supporting the right to die of those suffering considerably from illness, while others insist that a person should not be caused by another to die unnaturally in regard to illness-related suffering. 

Furthermore, as the baby boomer generation ages, the topic of assisted suicide and mercy killings may have to face more serious discussion as demand for choosing to medically end one’s own life early may find a more prominent voice.