By Star Jameson, Hamilton
A bill which criminalizes physicians who offer aid to the dying has moved out of the House, and is soon to have a vote by the Senate. The present situation is that if a senior or terminally-ill person wants to have assistance in a compassionate medically-proven way to leave before their body is entirely ravaged by pain, they have a choice, after consulting with family, pastor, another doctor and their Hospice staff.
No one is forcing them. They receive information about how the process develops and how long it will take, and they may schedule it, so loved ones may be near at the last moments.
To call this homicide on the part of the doctor is 1) highly inflammatory, since it is the patient’s choice and 2) defeats the sacred trust between a person, her body, and her doctor that has always been maintained.
Please call your senators (Ellsworth and Thomas for the valley) and ask them to vote NO to HB 284.