Force Feeding in Hospitals

Elizabeth Bouvia, a quadriplegic in Riverside, California, wants to starve herself to death. The hospital in which she spent seven months said, in effect, Not here. It obtained the backing of a local court for feeding Mrs. Bouvia by force. This decision—which has now forced Mrs. Bouvia to check herself out of the hospital—seems an abuse of the court’s and of the hospital’s power.

Not that I am in favor of suicide. But suicide is legal in all states of the U.S. that I am familiar with. For good reason: It is impossible to punish a successful suicide in this world, for he has left it. Wherefore the threat of punishment is unlikely to discourage would-be suicides. On the other hand, an unsuccessful suicide is not going to be cheered up by punishment and discouraged from trying again. Hence, there is no point in making suicide unlawful.

EH

About the Author

Ernest van den Haag

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Manage following

Bioethics

Euthanasia

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Health Care

California

Courts

Elizabeth Bouvia, a quadriplegic in Riverside, California, wants to starve herself to death. The hospital in which she spent seven months said, in effect, Not here. It obtained the backing of a local court for feeding Mrs. Bouvia by force. This decision—which has now forced Mrs. Bouvia to check herself out of the hospital—seems an abuse of the court’s and of the hospital’s power.

Not that I am in favor of suicide. But suicide is legal in all states of the U.S. that I am familiar with. For good reason: It is impossible to punish a successful suicide in this world, for he has left it. Wherefore the threat of punishment is unlikely to discourage would-be suicides. On the other hand, an unsuccessful suicide is not going to be cheered up by punishment and discouraged from trying again. Hence, there is no point in making suicide unlawful.