People are talking after Malcolm McDonald spoke about his wish to die on his own terms. And that’s exactly what we hoped would happen.

We never hesitated at the chance to tell Malcolm’s story, even when we knew some people wouldn’t agree with his stance.

Malcolm, 81, was diagnosed with non-treatable, stage 4 lung cancer, and he spoke to the Herald and sent a letter to state officials about his wish for Minnesota to join the ranks of states like California, Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana that have “death with dignity” laws.

His story struck us instantly as one that would challenge and engage our readers, whether they agree or disagree with his wishes.

We also never hesitated when we received a letter to the editor arguing against Malcolm’s view.

Paul Stark of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life wrote a letter to the editor a few days later calling the story misleading and calling Malcolm’s wish to “die with dignity” a case of “assisted suicide.”

To be clear, we never set out to take a stance on the “right to die” or “assisted suicide.” We wished simply to tell Malcolm’s story and share his opinion to spur discussion. This was not meant to be a robust retelling of all of right to die legislation in Minnesota and across the country.

We aimed to show respect for Malcolm, his family and his views as they face a difficult future, and we hoped to raise discussion. In the days since, we’ve aimed to show that same respect for those who disagree with Malcolm’s views or feel uncomfortable or even angered by them.

Around Austin, Malcolm’s story has received a variety of opinions. Many have been supportive of Malcolm, his family and his position, including many showing support on the Herald’s Facebook page. Meanwhile, we had another call from a community member, a staunch Catholic, who disagrees with Malcolm’s stance; however, she politely thanked us for the story and said she respected Malcolm’s views. Another person argued we gave the story too much attention.

All these opinions are valid responses to Malcolm’s story.

In our eyes, what matters most is that people are debating the issue and speaking out. Too often in today’s society, we whittle out opposing viewpoints and focus only on the ones we agree with.

When we can, we hope to make people at least reconsider their stance on issues.

Is there a right — or wrong — way to die? That’s not a question we feel confident in answering, but we appreciate that it’s a discussion that is complex and worth having.