Assisted Suicide - - -A rose by any other name

Recently, the House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing for HB 513 relative to end of life aid in dying for certain persons suffering from a terminal disease. Aid in dying is another name for assisted suicide is another name for death with dignity and so the rhetoric goes.  As I read through the articles and testimony presented . . .  elder abuse, death panels, terminal, self-administered . . . were words with meaning, but do these words have hidden meanings?

Where did this concept of “physician assisted suicide” originate?  Back in 1980 following the publication of “Jean’s Way,” in which Derek Humphry relates his story of helping his “terminally ill” wife kill herself in 1975.  Red flags! Red flags! 

What happened the principles in the Declaration of Independence?  You know where it says “we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator to certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, . . .”  Suicide was murder albeit self-murder.  People who attempted to kill themselves were considered ill and put under medical care.  And yet, here is a man who admittedly assisted his wife in killing herself.

Was she really given a “terminally ill” prognosis?  Did Mr. Humphry have other reasons to help his wife murder herself?  Did he stand to benefit monetarily upon her passing?  Was he abusing her is some manner?  Isn’t he at minimum an accomplice to murder?

Be that as it may, in 1980, Derek Humphry began selling Americans on the idea that life had no value and that individuals who could be convinced that life was not worth living, should be allowed to terminate their lives with the help of a physician or other person as he founded the Hemlock Society.

Over the years, the names have changed to End of Life Choices, to Caring Friends until today where they are known as Compassion Choices.  I wonder whose “choices” they reference.

Reading about Oregon and Washington, the only two states that currently have “physician assisted suicide” laws, causes one to shake the head.  How is “terminal” defined?   In HB 513 it refers to a prognosis of less than six months until death.  What if the doctor is wrong?  As in the case of Jeanette Hall.  She states:

“I wanted to do our [assisted suicide] law and I wanted my doctor to help me.   Instead, he encouraged me not to give up . . .   I had both chemotherapy and radiation . . .

“It is now nearly 10 years later.  If my doctor had believed in assisted suicide, I would be dead.”

Or what about Barbara Wagner, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Her doctor offered her hope in a new chemotherapy drug, Tarceva.  The Oregon Health Plan denied her request for coverage, but instead offered her comfort care and physician aid in dying, aka assisted suicide.

Barbara told them, “Who do you guys think you are?  You know, to say that you’ll pay for my dying, but you won’t pay to help me possibly live longer.”

According to Dr. William Toffler, a critic of assisted suicide, the state has a financial interest in offering death instead of life.  The Chemotherapy drug such as Tarceva costs $4,000 per month while drugs to administer death cost less than $100.

Maryanne Clayton was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and given two to four months to live.  She was eligible for Washington States “Death with Dignity” law.  However, Maryanne chose to participate in a clinical trial with a new drug called Pemetrexate.  That was four years ago.

Other areas of concern with this bill include the administration.  There is no provision in this bill to allow the patient to opt out or rescind their request for a lethal dose.  Once the medication is prescribe there is no supervision provided or required.  Hence the so called “patient choice” is not really available and can be abused.   Some third party could administer the dosage to the unaware patient or it could be administered through an IV.  In fact, “patient control” is a misnomer.  The claim that they are in control because they are being allowed to “self administer” is mere word play.  “Self administer” is defined as the patient’s act of ingesting the medication. . .

Someone else who places the lethal dose in the patient’s mouth qualifies as “self administration.”   Someone else placing the lethal dose in a feeding tube or IV nutrition bag qualifies as ingesting or absorbing and thus is “self administered.”

Ultimately, a rose by any other name. . . Physician assisted suicide or death with dignity or aid in dying are all other names for legalized murder.

New Hampshire would benefit the most IF the Judiciary committee and the full House of Representatives vote to kill HB 513.