I thought that Tom Keane’s Aug. 26 op-ed was spot-on regarding an essential part of the ballot initiative to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide. Any law that has the potential for abuse is bad public policy.
Add to Keane’s points the requirement for the doctor to list the cause of death as something other than suicide, the lack of explicit conscience protections for medical personnel, the opposition of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the presence of pain management and hospice care, and that should clearly add up to voting “no” on this unneeded and flawed bill.
Comments
"Potential for abuse" is a reason not to do something that makes sense? If the only legislation were those that had not "potential" for abuse the law books would be very thin. Laws are followed most of the time. The times they are not should be prosecuted criminally. Legislating perfection is an impossiblity. Having reached an age where I have seen the process of dying several times I can say speeding up the process can be a merciful thing to do.
YOU don't need this "flawed" bill. Lots of people might. Should they suffer for the opposition of the Mass. Medical Society? Should they suffer because pain management doesn't always work? Why don't you get out of the way and let people who need this bill have it?