"You cheapen life when you decide to end it prematurely."

Did I cheapen the life of my sweet old arthritic Labrador retriever who shared so many adventures, up times and down times with me when I laid him on his doggie bed with his favorite toys and wrapped my body around his and told the vet to "go ahead" through my tears?

Should I have forced him to suffer when he couldn't stand up anymore and let him cry in pain and frustration for days and weeks?  I've heard this described as "the final kindness we do for our best friend" and it is one of the hardest decisions I ever made.

I think we should show at least the same kindness to our family that we show our family pets.  The tired "slippery slope" can be used on anything we disapprove of.  We heard it with from the gay marriage opponents who were concerned people would start marrying turtles and goats, and we are hearing it now with this compassionate death bill.