Cory's+Response

media type="file" key="corey-drtheodorebaehr-euthanasia.mp3"

Dear Dr. Theodore Baehr,

I feel that movies are romanticizing and making active euthanasia and suicide more acceptable. I feel this is not acceptable in any way. As quoted by one opposing these “arts” they said “Murder is not excusable, even when it is art.” No matter how the situation is looked at, and no matter what excuse is presented, murder is not acceptable. When a movie that is produced shows active euthanasia, and not only shows it but shows it in a way that is almost fantasized, it promotes the view it is advertising. Movies like “Million Dollar Baby” make it so that to be murdered or to use active euthanasia is ok. It shines the light on it from the point of view that people should be allowed to kill other people in certain situations. I strongly disagree with this. Movies should not be used to promote issues that are morally wrong. Someone who performs active euthanasia multiple times is defined by the law as a cereal killer. There are no movies promoting cereal killing because it is clearly morally wrong. Also, movies do not make killers look like good people because it is wrong to take another persons life with out an extremely good cause. So why is it that there are movies that decide to go against any morals and they romanticize the idea of one person killing another through active euthanasia. They are directly fanaticizing murder and making it look acceptable to our culture. “Million Dollar Baby” is a perfect example of this being shown. This is like Dr. Joseph Goebbels’ film “I Accuse”. It is literally selling murder. They are using their propaganda and art to convince people that these are mercy killings. The last time this happened it lead to the holocaust. That is a scary road to go down or as some would say “the slippery slope”. If you justify killing people by saying it is a “mercy killing” then who is it to say you are any better than the Nazi’s, the group that used that same explanation to justify the killing of millions of innocent people. I strongly believe that romanticizing or fanaticizing murder, suicide, or active euthanasia in movies is quite frankly morally wrong. It should not be done, and the previous violations of this should be treated properly and gotten rid of. Murder is not romantic so why try and make it look socially acceptable in this way?