More On The Massachusetts Assisted Suicide Hearings

Here’s some blow-by-blow in the trenches of the Massachusetts hearings ahead of the assisted suicide ballot in November.

Solid Testimony Against Ballot Measure to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts

Yesterday’s hearings at the State House were impressive.

Representative Eugene O’Flaherty, House Chair of the Judiciary Committee, ran the hearings very efficiently. More than 50 people testified in opposition to Doctor Prescribed Suicide. They covered the range of reasons to oppose the bills. Massachusetts Alliance Against Doctor Prescribed Suicide taped the hearings. I understand MAADPS will have those and the written testimony on their web site momentarily, http://stopassistedsuicide-ma.com/

There were only a hand-full of proponents. Apparently, since they know the petition will be on the ballot, they decided to keep their powder dry. There was an interesting contrast. The proponents spoke emotionally about people in difficult situations which, they claim, necessitates changing the law. Opponents talked about what we can do for people in difficult situations and about all the specific problems with the bill. more