The Point: Death Down East

The Maine legislature has passed a so-called “death with dignity” bill allowing doctors to prescribe death-dealing drugs to patients with a terminal condition and six months or less to live. As I record this, the bill returns to the legislature for final disposition, and the governor has not yet indicated whether or not she will sign. Supporters cite safeguards in order to promote the bill: that it’s for adults only, and doctors must assess the patient’s mental capacity, etc. But that misses the point that doctors are often wrong. That the right to die always becomes the duty to die. We know of instances where families pressure loved ones to end their lives. As soon as Canada allowed “assistance in dying,” physicians called for euthanizing ill minors. There are insurance company pressures where medication to die is cheaper than medication to live, and it tells others, including our youth, that suicide is an option. If you live in Maine, tell your representatives and the governor to stop this deadly bill.   Download the MP3 audio here.

06/5/19