Actor and Disability Rights Activist Liz Carr Speaks Out Against Legalizing Assisted Death in the US, ‘They Think It’s Better to Be Dead Than to Be Disabled’

As someone who has fought for disability rights for over a decade and lived with a rare genetic disorder since I was seven, I wholeheartedly stand by Liz Carr’s perspective on this matter. It’s disheartening to see how society often treats disability as a burden rather than a part of life. The idea that assisted death could be seen as an acceptable solution for people living with disabilities is not only alarming but also deeply saddening.

Liz Carr, well-known for her roles in the third season of “Good Omens” as a fantasy comedy actress and as a forensic scientist in the crime drama “Silent Witness,” expresses her backing towards the U.S. government’s stance against immediate legalization of euthanasia within the country.

The disability advocate and actress expressed concerns about how such programs could impact the cultural perspective on individuals with disabilities. In her view, when someone loses their job or a loved one, they are often met with support for suicide prevention. However, she stated that if this person is disabled or ill, society seems to accept the idea of medically-assisted death as a more acceptable outcome. She told Daily Mail that it’s perceived as better for them to be dead than to be disabled.

If we make that choice legal, she argues, it could potentially lead disabled individuals to take their own lives prematurely under the misconception that they are a burden on others. She suggests that such an assisted medical practice may unwittingly promote a harmful notion.

At the age of seven, Carr was diagnosed with a little-known muscle and joint condition known as arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a genetic disorder. Since she stepped into the spotlight, she’s been a strong voice for individuals in similar situations, opposing assisted death for more than a decade. Recently, her documentary “Better Off Dead?” was presented to the U.S. Congress, with support from organizations like the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, and Not Dead Yet. Carr expresses that as long as inequality persists and certain groups are undervalued, no protection can safeguard us all.

To date, ten U.S. jurisdictions including Washington D.C., have authorized assisted suicide: California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, Maine, New Jersey, and Hawaii. The criteria for eligibility are that patients must be adults (18 years or older), be projected to die within six months, and undergo a thorough examination of their decision-making capacity. This year, approximately 19 bills related to this topic were proposed in various state legislatures; no new states successfully legalized the practice. The most recent state to pass such a law was New Mexico in 2021. However, in 2023, Vermont revised its assisted dying regulations, eliminating the requirement for residency, thus allowing non-residents to access the procedure as long as they travel to the state.

The case is a controversial one, with many activists like Carr fighting against it with stories like that of Canadian army veteran and former Paralympian Christine Gauthier, who was offered assisted death when she complained to her government that the wheelchair lift installation in her home was taking too long. Religious groups in the U.S. also rally against the law on moral grounds. Others plead for the option to prevent patients with long-term terminal illnesses from suffering all the way through to their deaths in a severely torturous manner.

An example is the heartbreaking case of Ayla Eilert, who died in April 2022 after a seven-month-long arduous battle with cancer that left her in agony and pleading for the option of a doctor-assisted death that was not available in her home state of New York.

The current stalemate in legislation and recent developments surrounding this topic may hint at the potential problems it faces, at least temporarily. Governor John Carney of Delaware recently vetoed a bill that legalized assisted dying, explaining, “I am deeply opposed, both ethically and morally, to laws that permit someone, even under tragic and agonizing circumstances, to end their own life.

Carr remarks, “It indicates that individuals are truly contemplating their actions,” he says. “They’re not looking to instill fear in large communities, particularly those who are already fragile and exposed.” The discussion gains momentum as more proposals about this topic surface in states like Illinois and Minnesota.

2024-10-14 02:16

Actor and Disability Rights Activist Liz Carr Speaks Out Against Legalizing Assisted Death in the US, ‘They Think It’s Better to Be Dead Than to Be Disabled’

Read More

Minority Mindset