Why Do Americans Oppose Suicide But Support Assisted Suicide?

Gallup just issued its annual poll on “moral acceptability.” I was struck by the dramatically different results in the two questions about suicide.The first question asked about “doctor assisted suicide.” Close to a majority, 49 percent, of respondents answered that committing suicide with a doctor’s help is morally acceptable, while 45 percent responded that it is not.The other question asked simply about the moral acceptability of “suicide.” Strikingly, only 21 percent said that it is morally