Exposing some myths about physician-assisted suicide.

When I was asked to speak at this conference, I was at first hesitant to participate. In fact, I dreaded the prospect of speaking about the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. It's not that I have nothing to say on the issue; like everyone here, I too have something to say about it. Nor have I failed to think about this issue; on the contrary, I've had more than ample opportunity to ponder it. If I've thought about the topic enough to have something to say about it, why would I hesitate accepting this invitation? Why would I dread talking about an issue that has achieved such prominence? Basically, there are two reasons. First, we seem to have lost our ability to speak with one another about issues such as this. Instead of engaging one another in a conversation, we have substituted diatribe for dialogue and discord for discourse. The rhetoric of rights, and the simplistic thinking that such rhetoric creates and sustains, impedes our ability and even our willingness to listen to one another. The "I'm right; you're wrong" mentality that dominates these debates makes it impossible to get a word in edgewise. What is supposed to be a conversation becomes an occasion for sloganeering and moral jingoism. And I have no interest in participating in an exchange of views that proceeds in a manner that serves not to advance the discussion, but