The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1939-01-19
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MERCY MERCY DEATHS

killed his seventeen year ola
imbeci'e son. He was charged with
murder and will go on trial. 1t is
another one of those mercy
'eaths."
When asked why he did 1t the
father stated that he could not
'Onger endure to see his own son
exist in that condition. What the
result Of the trial will be remains
to be seen, but certainly his act
was more merciful than it was
riminal
The mercy death" question is
sensitive one. There are many
angles to it and the probability of
final recovery always enters into
the consideration. Physici a ms
hesitate to endorse the idea be-
cause they know that so many
times the hopeless turn out to be
otherwise.
About a year ago General John
2. Pershing lay diving in Tucson.
There was no hope for his re-
covery. His existence was measured
by hours. A specia' tran was
chartered to Washington. Flowers
were ordered for his funeral. An
American flag was sent from the
National Capitol by airplane to
1rape his casket. Newspaper copy
was set up with all the details of
his 'ife. read to publish an soon
a. the hour of his death was an
bounced But he didn't die. He is
back In Arizona again this winter,
going good.
His was not an insane case but
II was one of those mo hope
cases that cause even the best
physicians to hesitate in encourag-
ing the making OF any law that
would thrust upon them RESPONSE
bility Of a decision in hopeless
situation.
NOTHING TO START WITH
BIT insane people are different
ON physically sick ones. There
ere many insane folk who can
recover There are others however,
who cannot A BORN imbecie is
'op' ess from the word go"
It would seem that in such cases
he greater crime 10 to allow them
20 continue to exist The mercy"
extended is not confined to the
person put out his wretched
misery. 1t extends to any persons
Connected with him. Can anyone
measure the breaking ordeal
that this father endured during
seventeen long years7 Watching
and caring for a hopeless, wretched
creature thru that eternity and
knowing all the while that it
cannot be different. II is one of
those cases where the mercy of
the parent for the child should De
extended to the father by a.
sympathetic public.
You cannot recover that which
YOU have never had. II there never
has been intelligence to start with
you begin at no beginning and
work to no end.
We say we have no right to take
q life. But what is life? There
is a question as to whether "life"
as we know it can be considered
to exist where there Is no mind.
This is a sensitive subject that
touches the tenderest emotions of
ne human heart. But it is possibly
because we feel" so much about
I that we cannot do anything
nore about it than we do,
Our institutions for the feeble
rninded are loaded with these
tragically hopeless and helpless
victims of insanity We keep their
demented bodies alive thru years
years Of existence that bring to
them nothing save food and shelter.
And the dead weight Of sorrow
these unfortunate ones heap on
those to whom they are related
exacts it toll in the form of licked
depressed spirits and reduced eff
ficiency. Release is no only
merciful but it is contributory to
the possibilities OF those nearest
the victims to live their lives at
least some degree of relief from
their burden.
WAR Is A Racket
Increasingly the notion grows
upon us that the war game is
racket, created by the munitions
makers, promoted by the duped
statesmen" who, as a result of