It is that time of year again: the time that our state lawmakers propose legislation that will legalize assisted suicide (eloquently referred to as Medical Aid in Dying) in New York State. Many of you know that I have been actively opposing this bill since 2014, when my husband Kenny died after a 21-year battle with oral cancer. I had seen immense suffering, but I also recognized that at the end of life, people need love, support, and proper medical and palliative care, not pressure – particularly subtle pressure – to choose death over life for financial, emotional, or psychological reasons. Now, in 2024, ten states and districts in the nation allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of suicide drugs to their patients. We have seen some progress in the fight against abortion; we need to also stop the euthanasia movement before it plants its evil roots here in New York.
We cannot get an accurate count of how many people chose to kill themselves using assisted suicide in those ten states because the legislation does not require reporting by doctors, pharmacies, or coroners, but we can get a clear idea of the potential impact it will have on our nation by looking to our neighbor to the north. In 2021, 10,000 Canadians died from assisted suicide. A year later, the Canadian Health System reported 13,241 assisted suicide deaths, accounting for 4.1% of all deaths in Canada. A 31.2% jump in one year! And 44,958 people have received medically assisted deaths since the introduction of their federal legislation in 2016. Tragic.
On Tuesday, March 12th, I will be attending a peaceful demonstration sponsored by the Alliance Against Assisted Suicide at the Capitol building in Albany. I would love for you to join me. We will carpool, leaving Brewster at 7:00 am, and spend the morning meeting with legislators who support the bill, including our own Senator Peter Harckham. At 1:00, Peter Wolfgang will speak to us about blocking the bill in Connecticut, and beginning at 2:00, we will spread out with signs across the Capitol Building. We will arrive back in Brewster around 6:30 pm. Your presence will make a difference. Please join me, bring friends.
Scripture: Read Deuteronomy 30:19. What stands out?
Call to Action: Call me at 914-589-9348 if you can join me in this important fight for life.
