The Washington Post is promoting the assisted-suicide movement for the elderly and ill in one of their latest editions. SED, which stands for “voluntary stop eating and drinking” is one of the latest form of euthanasia which involves starving and dehydrating oneself to death. The Washington Post featured a story which tells how an elderly man chose this way of suicide and advocated for assisted suicide to be legalized.

Here is a brief excerpt from the story:

Ben Griffith rose before the sun the morning of March 18, 2022, packed his car and began the long drive from his house in Frankfort, Ky., to suburban Kansas City, Mo. The time had come to help his father die.

Months earlier, when John Griffith made clear to his three sons that he would end his life by denying himself food and drink rather than go into an assisted-living facility, his two older sons objected. Only Ben, the youngest at 67, agreed to keep vigil with his 99-year-old father. Now that John’s quality of life had deteriorated to the point where he would rather die than have his misery prolonged with unwanted treatment in assisted living, Ben was heading to his father’s house.

Ben arrived at his father’s townhouse in Gladstone, Mo., about 3 o’clock the afternoon of March 18, having driven the better part of 11 hours. He had braced himself for the ordeal, knowing it could become more difficult if his father wavered and requested food or water. Ben could not deny him that. “It’s voluntary,” Ben says. “If a person wants food or water, you give it to him. I had done my homework with Compassion & Choices and read their list of guidance. It says remind the person, ‘Dad, you know you’re doing VSED. If you take ice chips or water, it’s going to delay the process.’ I prepared before I left for that.”

With this story the Washington Post violated most of the WHO Media Suicide Guidelines on reporting:

Don’t place stories about suicide prominently and don’t unduly repeat such stories.

Don’t use language which sensationalizes or normalizes suicide, or presents it as a constructive solution to problems.

Don’t explicitly describe the method used.

Don’t provide details about the site/location.

Don’t use sensational headlines.

Don’t use photographs, video footage or social media links.

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1 year ago

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