Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
There were four speakers at our event, (Left to right: Alex Schadenberg, Alexander Raikin, researcher and visiting fellow in Bioethics at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Ales Primc an organizer of the referendum campaign that overturned Slovenia's assisted suicide law, and Wesley Smith, author, lawyer, bioethicist and long-term campaigner against euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Wesley Smith spoke first concerning the use of language.
Wesley stated these points:
Euthanasia and assisted suicide advocates continue to engage in word engineering. He who defines the words wins the debate, and often that is true. The media will often use the assisted suicide lobby language because they are generally supportive of assisted suicide.
Smith made a list of terms that should and should not be used. He insisted on using descriptive terms.
The first word that was stolen by the death lobby was euthanasia by changing its meaning to mean killing as an answer to suffering. They don't like using that term anymore because it is associated with killing. So they have created gooey euphemisms with terms that avoid what they are talking about.
We should never use the death lobby terminology and if you have to make sure you refer to it as a euphemism.
When they say medical aid in dying (MAiD), notice how the term MAiD doesn't refer to dying. We need to be accurate and say assisted suicide or lethal injection homicide or medical homicide or euthanasia. The death lobby activists will say that our language is not accurate but it is perfectly accurate and discriptive.
Suicide means to kill yourself, assisted means to have help.
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) is a gooey euphemism that is intended to deflect from the actual agenda that is being described. They are also using the term Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) to transform killing into a medical treatment.
When they say that MAiD is really not suicide because the person is terminally ill, the statement is nonsensical.
Whether a person has a health condition, a mental health condition or a terminal condition the act of suicide remains suicide. Just because a doctor prescribes the poison, doesn't change what is actually happening.
When we are advocating we must always use the proper terminology: assisted suicide, euthanasia, medicalized homicide or poison.
In terms of euthanasia, the lethal jab is a homicide. Homicide means one person killing another person or a human being killing another human being. Even where it is legal it is still homicide.
As I wrote in my first book, Forced Exit, when it is legal it may not be defined as murder but it is homicide and it is a form of killing. It is alway perilous and dangerous to society and individuals.
When the death lobby uses the term "medications" (they will often say they are prescribing medications). A medication is supposed to make you feel better or alleviate pain or symptoms, therefore it is not a medication. It is poison.
Always use the term poison and never use the term medication.
When the death lobby uses the term "choice" we need to say that it is the end of all "choices."
When they say "dying on our own terms," we would say that applies to all suicides. Anyone who commits suicide is dying on one's own terms. Again it is a nonsensical statement that is based on emotion.
This whole death agenda is being pushed through emotionalism and not rationality.
When they say "death with dignity" we need to challenge their implication that dying naturally is not dignified.
When they say it is a "medical treatment" we say no killing is never a medical treatment.
When they refer to their organizaton name - "Compassion & Choices" you can make fun of it. They used to have a much more honest name, the Hemlock Society. The term Compassion & Choices is a name that was poll tested into existence.
When they say nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Our response should be that it is not a good idea. Our job is to ensure that this is not an idea whose time has come.
Beware of social movement that use euphemisms to promote their agenda's. It means that they are trying to pull wool over people's eyes. If you have to use euphemisms and word engineering then there is probably something wrong with your agenda.
Links to previous articles on language by Wesley Smith:
