Assisted suicide

Assisted suicide has been a hot topic in the disability community for years. It’s a topic that, on the surface, seems sensible. After all if someone has a condition that leaves them in excruciating pain without any medical solutions assisted suicide could be considered a solution. However if the disabled person is offered assisted suicide for the sake of convenience it’s equivalent to homicide.

Currently Massachusetts Supreme Court is deliberating on a case Kliger v. Healey deciding on whether assisted suicide is a state constitutional right.  If the plaintiff (Kliger) wins this case it will bypass 20 years of work from grassroots advocates broadly referred to as the “Not Dead Yet” coalition. These advocates see “legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia as deadly forms of discrimination against old, ill and disabled people”.

In the case of Kliger v. Healey this law will be in the hands of a few judges instead of in the hands of the people. This demands legislative action and should not dependent on a handful of nondisabled people to determine this important issue.

If you feel strongly about disabled people’s right to live, join the rally October 13 from 11 AM to 1 PM in Boston in front of the John Adams Courthouse.

Joseph Tringali
Editor and Informational Advocate
Stavros Center for Independent Living
http://www.stavros.org