Letter: Stories of life and death on front page of paper

There is something eerie about the juxtaposition of the two news articles on the front page of the Star-Advertiser on May 26: “Finding Amanda Eller” and “3 patients end lives with legal procedure.”

Whether the side-by-side placement of the narratives was coincidental or not, the articles provided a fresher perspective on how different people and groups view issues that are very important — in this case, making a choice between life and death.

On one side, Amanda Eller, faced with a life-or-death option, willed life and did everything possible to survive, resigning herself to a miracle. Eller said that “the power of prayer and (love) … could move mountains.”

On the opposite side, there are now three deaths since medically assisted suicide became legal on Jan. 1, with 17 prescriptions requested. I question why the writer chose to include in her article the note provided to the Star-Advertiser from Compassion & Choices about the Kona man who chose to die. I see the note as romanticizing something very tragic.

Florencia Aczon Ranchez

Ewa Beach

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