Death Be Not Proud

Slouching toward a culture of death.

by Kathryn Jean Lopez

Earlier this summer, former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin was criticized for deploying hyperbole in her opposition to health-care-reform legislation. Palin warned of “death panels,” and in doing so she convinced certain lawmakers to withdraw proposals for “end-of-life counseling” boards that would parcel out advice in a government-controlled health-care system.

She could have been more sober in her choice of language. But these are alarming times, and Palin’s attention-grabbing language highlighted some of the life-and-death issues being debated on Capitol Hill. Considering that, under the Democrats’ proposed legislation, vital health-care decisions will very possibly be made in closed-door conference committee, perhaps the more people hear, the better...

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