The Value of Life

There is nothing that should be more valuable to us than the preservation and improvement of human life.

People often say things like "dignity is worth more than life."

To them I say "without life, who has dignity?"

More still say "life without dignity is not worth living."

To those people I would reply "even if you think that your life has no worth to you, consider its worth to others. Are you a parent? Then even without dignity your life is worth living for your children's sake. Are you a husband or a wife? Your life is worth living for your spouse's sake. Are you a brother, a sister, a friend, an employer or an employee, a friendly face on the way to work or a smile at the end of the day? Even if you see no dignity in your life, there will always be someone to whom your life is worthwhile."

If you have life, but no dignity, you can strive for dignity. If you have dignity, but no life, you are dead. There is nothing else.

We are privileged to experience life. We only have one life. Once it is gone, who knows what little we have left? Life should never be thrown away, no matter the reason.