letter to the editor

Death with dignity

Mon, 03/20/2017 - 4:00pm

Dear Editor:

This spring, LD 347, An Act to Support Death with Dignity, will come before the Legislature of Maine.

This bill is identical to LD 1270 which was defeated by only one senate vote in 2015.

LD 347 is modeled after Oregon's Death with Dignity law, which has been operating successfully for over 20 years. In Oregon, there has been no slippery slope, no legal issue brought forth, no wrong doing, not one court case. In effect, the law there works exactly as it was intended to work, and Maine's proposed legislation will work, too.

If you are interested in seeing  LD 347 become law, please consider speaking out through letters to your legislators or to the editors of newspapers. You can submit personal testimony to the Health and Human Services Committee in Augusta or, better still, go to Augusta and tell your story about why An Act to Support Death with Dignity is important to you.

 LD 347 allows for individual choice and options at the end-of-life. Six states, including the District of Columbia, already have this freedom. Wouldn't it be great if Maine could enjoy the same freedom?

Lynne Tobin

West Boothbay Harbor