Friday, April 15, 2005
Assisted Suicide Bill Proposed in Vermont
From A Mom and Her Blog
The Death with Dignity Act would allow Vermonters with six months to live to take a lethal dose of prescribed medications. There must be two physicians who sign off on the illness as terminal, and the patient must voluntarily make a written request for the medication.
"It scares me to think I might have taken that option," said Maureen Kelly, who is opposed to the legislation. Twenty years ago, Kelly suffered severe brain damage in a car accident that left in her in the hospital for three years -- including nine months in a coma. While she may have considered using lethal medication, she's glad she did not.
"I don't think it's a good situation for people to have that choice until they know how they're going to heal and get better," she said.
Kelly said she soon will be getting married. She worries the bill could have taken that joy away from her.
"If they can knock me off with physician-assisted suicide for $100, then they would rather do that than pay for my therapy every month I'm alive," she said.
Advocates of the bill said it would protect the chronically disabled such as Kelly, while giving others and their families some comfort.
I have enormous sympathy for terminal patients, but the bottom line is we didn't grant ourselves life and we don't have the right to end it either.
The Death with Dignity Act would allow Vermonters with six months to live to take a lethal dose of prescribed medications. There must be two physicians who sign off on the illness as terminal, and the patient must voluntarily make a written request for the medication.
"It scares me to think I might have taken that option," said Maureen Kelly, who is opposed to the legislation. Twenty years ago, Kelly suffered severe brain damage in a car accident that left in her in the hospital for three years -- including nine months in a coma. While she may have considered using lethal medication, she's glad she did not.
"I don't think it's a good situation for people to have that choice until they know how they're going to heal and get better," she said.
Kelly said she soon will be getting married. She worries the bill could have taken that joy away from her.
"If they can knock me off with physician-assisted suicide for $100, then they would rather do that than pay for my therapy every month I'm alive," she said.
Advocates of the bill said it would protect the chronically disabled such as Kelly, while giving others and their families some comfort.
I have enormous sympathy for terminal patients, but the bottom line is we didn't grant ourselves life and we don't have the right to end it either.
papijoe 7:01 AM
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