October 6, 2015: “It breaks my heart that my home state of California is legalizing assisted suicide. Instead of focusing on end-of-life care and pain management, this law effectively tells sufferers and their families that it’s better off if they are dead. Besides their physical suffering, those with potentially terminal illnesses struggle emotionally and mentally, and many feel like burdens to family and friends. When we tell them that physician-assisted suicide is even an option, it becomes a subtle form of pressure.
“Additionally, terminal diagnoses are often wrong. Many of us have heard of someone who was diagnosed with sixth months to live who recovered and was living a full life five years later.
“If we as a society think that suicide is never the answer, how does allowing a physician to commit it make it any less wrong? Helping someone to commit suicide is neither loving nor merciful. The healthy should fight for the sick, not tell them that they will help kill them.”
