Old Age, Selfish Kids and a Duty to Die

It is just shocking to hear about other sons or daughters lamenting about how their seemingly spry and old parents who are living into the 80s or even 90s as being "burdensome." Financially, I'd understand in some ways but to blame the U.S. Government for not taking care of the Mom or Dad is going a bit too far when they have worked 40 or 50 years but end up on living on social security. The problem with this naive thinking from these "children" is that social security was designed to supplement planned savings, not act as a safety net, if you call it a safety net. Social Security was never meant as the sole source of retirement income. It was never designed it to be that at all. If anybody going to do any blaming, better start blaming the parents who never bothered to plan some kind of a saving, pension or investment (e.g real estate, house, bonds, stocks, etc) plan as part of their retirement plan, a nest egg if you will. And because of the parents' mistake for not planning properly for their retirement, their children often have to bear the brunt of supplementing the finances to take care of their aging parents. And because of that these "children" when they grow up they moan and groan that their Mom or Dad is now a burden on them and wish they just simply drop dead. Nice way of showing respect to their parents that way. I'm sure when Mom and Dad were younger who worked hard to raise and feed their kids' bratty, spoiled mouths probably wished they dropped dead, too. Insolent kids are they now.

But what really takes the cake is when former Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm who had lit a firestorm of controversy back in 1984 when he suggested that old people have a "duty to die" if they are ill lest they "soak up up precious health care dollars that should go to the poor, young and uninsured." Excuse me? Wasn't there a Star Trek:TNG show about that? A duty to die? Here, give Mom a gun and help her point the gun at her temple while her hands are still shaking.

A respected doctor, Thomas Sowell brings up this,

In the Hastings Center Report, described as a journal of medical ethics, a medical ethicist says that "health care should be withheld even for those who want to live" if they have already lived beyond the politically correct number of years -- which he suggests might be 75. He says that, after such a "full rich life" then "one is duty-bound to die."

There's more. Another medical ethicist would consider extending the limit to 80 years but, after that, medical care should be denied to all who have "lived out a natural life span."

So, at age 75 years old somebody is going to decide that you had enough of your life and wants to terminate you? Now, somebody out there who is now a spry, lively thinking 72 year old will have about 3 years left before that person has a "duty to die" according to medical "ethicists" should that elderly person becomes ill and be a "burden" on society. Or more accurately, a burden on his or her children who would rather see you "drop dead." If Mom or Dad don't die at 75 or 80, the state will yank all medical priviledges hoping she or he will die faster as a result if medical ethicists have their way.

Be careful what you say now since you could be the receiving end when it's YOUR time to die if you reach a certain age or become a "burden." Respect Mom and Dad. Love them. They raised you. It's time you extend that same courtesy back. Stop being selfish. You'll die, too, you know. Life is a miracle with every breath one takes. Give them the support. It's Mom or Dad's decision to move on. Not you.

But hearing from people who hope their aging Mom or Dad to quickly "drop dead" so they can mooch on their will or get their real estate monies is absolutely repulsive. Maybe these "children" ought to drop dead instead? They might as well rob Mom and Dad now while they are still alive. No difference. This is probably true if the parents were especially mean and harsh with their kids and well into their adulthood. But if you have kids now, and you were mean or heartless toward them, then your own precious "wolves" will probably look at you like a sheep waiting for you to die one day, too. Only by that time the state will probably make sure it's your "duty to die."