On a day the secular world excessively celebrates ghouls, goblins and candy rewards, the State of Illinois spent the predawn hours adding to its horrific list of laws that assault and demean human life.
As of 3 a.m on Oct. 31, 2025 the State of Illinois became poised to become the 12th state in our nation to legalize medically assisted suicide. No matter how you sanitize the language, it’s death by choice—human choice, not God’s choice and not the course of natural law.
Proponents of legal suicide will drag out stories of people fighting catastrophic illness, physical pain and infirmity and economic hardship. And they will sanitize legal suicide with words like “compassionate choice, medical aid in dying and death with dignity.”
I have seen all that recently and held it in my hands. My father fought cancer and degeneration of his spine simultaneously. He knew these things would contribute to his end. He experiened the sickness caused by prolonged treatment along with the expense. When the treatment was no longer effective, he made the choice to just live. He was not a Catholic, not even a church goer. But he knew he was ultimately not in charge. He knew death shows no favorites and makes no exceptions. He also knew suicide isn’t part of life’s plan.
So he lived. He went to coffee with his pals. He had meat lovers pizza with his daughters and grandchildren. He went to birthday parties, graduations, campouts, cookouts, church fish frys, celebrated Christmas and New Years. He grieved for friends and family taken in death before him and celebrated new life born to carry on in great grandchildren and nieces and nephews and even new puppies. He fought back each new bout of illness by making the choice to finish life. He accepted pallative care instead of extended treatment. And he went on to persevere. He made plans, mowed his lawn, canned his tomatoes, picked his grapes, ate pancakes, played pranks, drove to town for groceries and coffee and accepted help with all of it. He even traveled to Canada for one last fishing trip. Saying goodbye in the back of his mind.
Then came hospice. Even though his time in their care was brief, it was his choice and he went boldly on. And for his choice he received compassion, comfort, respect and dignity in return as he completed the race.
Almost two years ago, my dad received the news that the immunotherapy was not preventing new cancer growth. The doctor estimated that dad had around six months to live, possibly more if he started more chemo and radiation which would have caused considerable pain and sickness with little reward. There was no cure.
Under the new law, Dad could have asked to be put down like a family pet. His insurance company could have said that assisted suicide would be covered but any other treatment would not be. That could have been an easy button. But life, even healthy life, does not come with easy buttons. Age, health and productivity does not define a life well lived.
It’s all the small moments that make an impression and make a difference to others. Those are the moments that we keep remembering now that Dad is gone.
Instead of an easy out our dad let nature take its course. In return he got life and gave himself to us for whatever was to be.
It was not always easy and yes, Dad had pain. But he had unintended joy too. And thankfully, there was no medical team or insurance company advising Dad to escape pain and save financial resources by taking a “compassionate” deadly cocktail or injection. Instead, we all shared two unexpected years of memories and shared moments.
Tell our governor we don’t need assisted suicide. Tell him to veto. If the governor does sign assisted suicide into law, please fight back by demanding safeguards for the poor, the vulnerable and the mentally compromised.
Support mental health programs and help friends and family with seeking help if they need it. Support the fantastic hospice programs, services and personnel we have in our area. These are the people who truly understand compassion, quality of life and dignity — not the legislators who opted to legalize death on demand.
