Assisted Suicide
Is Dangerous

At Randolph's town meeting, I intended to initiate discussion on end of life issues. The sign on the exit door said 82% of Vermonters in a poll chose death with dignity. I regret that. This came from a quick exit poll that was worded for a person's quick response. This subject deserves a more informed base of opinion.

Admittedly my primary reason for being opposed to doctor-prescribed medications to induce death is based on a fundamental belief in the sanctity of life. I am not alone. Major religions seem to have this in common. In an interfaith statement in Detroit where Jack Kevorkian was frequently in and out of jail for administering lethal drug doses, Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders jointly signed a letter against physician assisted suicide. Mormons also have taken a strong stance against this.

In today's world there are many religious practices and many who choose not to believe. Since we are dealing with end-of-life issues, which abut religious beliefs about death, religious views are extremely important and should not be taken lightly or disregarded. 79% of Americans, according to Harris Polls, still believe in God. However, should the faithful dictate the laws of everyone? What issues aside from faith should be considered?

What about looking at where these practices are already in place? From the Netherlands, we can learn that once legalized, euthanasia cannot be effectively controlled. Though initially intended for terminal patients, it will soon be performed on other groups—elderly, incapacitated patients, patients suffering with emotional distress, the disabled, and newborns with disabilities.

Three surveys over a 10-year period 1991, 1996 and 2001 in Holland show that at least 1000 patients each year are being killed without their express consent. Doctors only report about half of their cases. Most claim the reason is the reporting is time consuming, obviously they might be hiding other motives.

Doctors have gone from killing the terminally ill who asked for it, to killing the chronically ill who asked for it, to killing the depressed who had no physical illness, to killing newborn babies that have birth defects that cannot ask for it. At least 2.7% of deaths of children up to age 17 in the Netherlands are due to euthanasia. In Belgium 7% of neonatal deaths are due to euthanasia.

Some will say, "So what? Those lives aren't worth living."

Think then about the changes that occur in the minds of society. This places immense pressure on those who are ill, have disabilities, and may require expensive treatments. There's already great pressure on these people. Do we really want to tell them, "Why don't you let us kill you?"

A Dutch practitioner comments, "Once you accept killing as a solution for a single problem, you will find tomorrow hundreds of problems for which killing can be seen as a solution."

Martha Hafner

Randolph