Euthanasia by any name is humane

Re “The language of death,” Opinion, Feb. 12

A bill such as the California Compassionate Choices Act has been a long time coming. I have found it odd that we have no trouble putting an animal out of its misery when it is suffering. Yet, when a human being is needlessly suffering, all sorts of ethical, moral and religious issues are yanked in without hesitation. My belief in the necessity of a law such as this stems from watching my mother suffer from throat cancer. She had no hope of recovery; she was declared terminally ill about four weeks before she eventually died. She remarked several times that she wished she could take a pill and have it all be over. Unfortunately, that was not an option.

I urge the members of the state Legislature to support this bill and do everything possible to see that it is passed. It is controversial legislation, even worded as it is. However, it is also one of the most singularly humane laws that has been, or ever will be, brought to existence in this state.

MICHAEL HEITER

Irvine

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Geoffrey Nunberg overlooks a perfectly good word that is a near-perfect fit for the situation he labors over in his column: “euthanasia.” I would expect a linguist to take a stronger stand in support of the clarity of our language, especially the language we use to write our laws. Vetting the language of proposed laws through pollsters and focus groups is a recipe for bad law.

MIKE MATHEWS

Palm Desert

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Most citizens do not think deeply about the intentions of messages because they are passive readers or listeners who tend to accept and support ideas without thinking critically. People and organizations that send messages can choose words to manipulate their audience. Therefore, the most important thing to do is to judge information critically without being manipulated by words.

MAYA HANADA

Northridge