TTV Read

Half a Life

From: Mark R

In my opinion, this is the best Lwaxana episode. Not because of her but because of the subject covered. The episode reminds me of "Logan's Run". Watch it if you haven't seen it. This planet sets an arbitrary time of 60 years as the end of the usefulness to someone. One thing we don't know is how long that might be in Earth years. Picard cannot interfere, of course. The episode hits me close to home. My Grandfather, who I have spoken about before, became ill late in life with dementia and was placed in a "Memory Care" facility. He was 88 at that time in 2003. Fortunately he had saved his whole life and had the funds to pay for it and it was about $45000/year at that time. His time there drained his money. I went to visit him and he didn't know who I was. Worse than that, he didn't know who HE was or where he was. The person he used to be was gone and all that was left was a living body. Now, the place he was in was clean and everything looked good but it was the saddest place I have ever seen. I apologized to him that he had to stay there because I know he would not have wanted that. What is the point of keeping a body alive like this? Because some religion says all life has value? No, it doesn't. Now, the person in the episode was still vibrant and could contribute but why was my Grandfather and so many others denied the right to die with dignity? Some fictional book written by nomadic desert people thousands of years ago says so? Hogwash. I vowed right then that if I get a diagnosis like this or any other life ending news I will choose the time and place of my passing, I will not allow myself to become a burden and die in a place like that. I will go on my terms when I say so. Sadly it took until 2007 for my Grandfather to pass away at 92 broke, broken and without honor. Mark R