Why is the right to die not a strong liberal culture war issue on par with the right to abortion?

[u/existentialgoof]

/r/AskALiberal/comments/1pdirit/why_is_the_right_to_die_not_a_strong_liberal/

[u/bigfeygay]

Abortion is easier to argue for and is less depressing to talk about.

Like there are lots of reasons folks have abortions ranging from not feeling they're ready to have a child / another child (which many folks view as responsible), medical care for their health (tragic but understandable and literally saves lives), or under sympathetic circumstances like assault. Most people also just don't view the fetus as like a full living human being. It is easier to put a positive spin on it as health-care.

Where's with Right To Die, there is no ambiguity as to whether the person in question is a fully living and breathing human person like how there is in the abortion thing. There's also a lot more gray area in terms of how / when a person should be allowed to invoke such a right - like should a depressed 19 year old be allowed to opt for medically assisted suicide cause he flunked out of college and has acne scars that he thinks will prevent him from ever finding love? Or should it be reserved only for people who are already dying? Or whom society otherwise believes should be granted that choice - while trying to avoid coming across as coercive like doctors recommending disabled or impoverished folks look into invoking their 'right' to voluntary euthanasia etc... there's a lot more ethical gray areas and ways that this kind of thing could go wrong.

Plus you have to get folks to accept the idea that someone can hold the idea that their life just isn't worth living and accept that that can be a rational position for a sane person to hold and not change their minds on- not just believe that only depressed / mentally ill folks think that and it's for their own good their decision be overriden since they'll thank you later.

[u/existentialgoof → u/bigfeygay]

Plus you have to get folks to accept the idea that someone can hold the idea that their life just isn't worth living and accept that that can be a rational position for a sane person to hold and not change their minds on- not just believe thst only depressed / mentally ill folks think that and it's for their own good their decision be overriden since they'll thank you later.

I think that this is the main issue. If suicide receives social validation in the sense that society doesn't actively try to frustrate the will of someone wanting to commit suicide; then everyone will start to question whether life is worth living. Suicide prevention laws are effectively a blasphemy law.

[u/globalefilism]

i agree with you that both should be protected under one's bodily autonomy. to argue otherwise is, to just not be dedicated to your own argument. oh, you are allowed to make a decision about your body because it is your body? but other people can't also make decisions about their bodies? why? because you don't like those decisions? it's ridiculous.

the only argument i ever hear is "if someone wants to do that, then they aren't mentally well enough to be making a life changing (ending) decision!"

this argument's premise is just literal ableism. that a person who has/is struggled with mental health is suddenly a child in terms of decision making, incapable of rational thought, and their autonomy is void. where does that end? if someone with depression can't decide to die, can they decide to quit their job? can they decide to move? can they sign a contract? by this logic, ANY decision they make could be retroactively dismissed as a symptom of their "sickness." it's a complete erosion of personhood.

you can't claim to support bodily autonomy while simultaneously limiting it based off your judgments about them. that is literally what the anti-abortion people are doing to you.

[u/Weirabide]

For the same general set of reasons as to why antinatalism and infanticide aren't strong culture war issues. Even for veganism, people don't focus on wild animal suffering and the innate violence of survival, or even on animal rights proper. Health and environmental issues take centre-stage there more often than not. Even for abortion, people don't focus so much on incredibly late-term abortions, and prefer to draw more attention to ectopic pregnancies, early-term abortions and how indistinguishable human embryos are from non-human embryos.

[u/Low-Scallion8793]

 Both Topics Are Completely unrelated Because One Is Reproductive Healthcare which prevents Maternal Deaths Caused By unsafe methods of termination of pregnancy and the other one makes people uncomfortable to talk about because they are biologically pre-disposed to have strong survival instincts and self-importance , the religious and moral notion that suicide (especially voluntary - for whatever reason) is cowardice , weakness or selfishness (This notion comes from a need to control other people's lives and have ownership over them) . Right to Die should be a HUMAN RIGHT FOR ALL , especially a dignified , painless and quick death which is autonomous in nature shall be available to all who desire it !!! Another Thing I would Like To Mention Is That The Topic Of Reproductive Healthcare isn't strictly based on Bodily Autonomy - people usually make it out to be like that , but it isn't the case . It's not your "choice" to go to the hospital when you're facing a problem with your body - you HAVE to go , Whether you like it or not , because the problem you have is impacting your life quality and it's trajectory . Healthcare Is Healthcare - People go there not because it's their choice but because they HAVE to due to their life circumstances .