I am unashamedly a fan of Star Trek. I followed the original series and also equally enjoyed “The Next Generation.” So it comes with some concern that the latest entry in the case for assisted suicide would come from the bridge of the Enterprise – namely Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard in “The Next Generation”).
According to Trek Today Stewart commented, “I have the strong feeling that, should the time come for me, having had no role in my birth I would like there to be a choice I might make about how I die.â€
To buttress the case Stewart did what many have done – first appeal to autonomy (“I would like there to be a choice I might make”) and to then posit an anecdotal account of someone wishing to die (“His friend was ‘driven to an extreme situation of ending their life in the most ghastly way.'”)
Patrick Stewart may be a single voice among millions but in our our starry-eyed society his words catch attention. In reality, autonomy arguments and anecdotal stories remain thin ice for their lack of depth, logic, foundation and consideration for long-reaching ramifications.
As I return to this blog I will dissect the arguments for assisted suicide over a few entries as well on other comparable topics. For now I will not let the shaky views of a popular actor sway my affection for Star Trek as a rather clever, if not occasionally a corny, piece of fantasy – akin to arguments for self-murder!
