“There is a dignity in dying that doctors should not dare to deny.” — Author unknown
No one wants to suffer.
And, no family wants to watch their loved ones suffer from terminal illnesses.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, has introduced House Bill 1157 that would allow a patient with a terminal illness to use medication to end his life.
Pierce’s goal is to “start a conversation between legislators and their constituents about end-of-life issues.”
Based on Oregon’s “death with dignity law,” Pierce’s bill has 10 safeguards to ensure that the patient wants to end his life.
The bill is based on similar legislation in California, Colorado, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.
Pierce’s bill says the patients must have a “terminal illness with a medical judgment that the patient cannot recover and death that will come within six months.”
One of the safeguards is that the patient must file a “Medication to End My Life” with the Indiana State Department of Health. If anyone were to administer the life-ending medication other than the patient, they would face a Level 1 felony charge, similar to murder.
And, as expected, not everyone is in favor of the bill.
The Indiana Family Institute, in a press release, said “leftists are salivating for the opportunity to liberalize Indiana, and we simply cannot let them erase the great progress we’ve made on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, parental rights, and limited taxation in our state.”
Many doctors are also hesitant about the bill; many fear they could be arrested.
Compassion and Choices of Indiana has advocated for the expansion of end-of-life options.
Bev Hmurovic, president of the group, said what they have found is that people with terminal illnesses “yearn to live as long and as fully as they can for as long as their disease allows them a reasonable quality of life.”
We believe the terminally ill should have that right. They should have a choice and be able to make that decision with their doctors and their family.
And, to do it with dignity.