Letter: Right-to-die advocates back rights of terminally ill

Friday, Jan. 16, 1998 | 9:39 a.m.

Pardon me, Mr. O'Callaghan, but I'm not ready to have somebody else determine whether it's time for me to go either. I'm afraid you missed the entire point. Right-to-die advocates don't want to decide if, and when, it's time for a terminally ill, mentally competent adult to choose to end or extend their own lives. We are only asking for the right to choose for ourselves.

To compare the Hemlock Society USA to Nazi Germany and Dr. Josef Mengele is an extreme injustice to those of us who have dedicated our lives to supporting the rights of terminally ill, suffering patients. You used many ugly phrases to describe us, suggesting that we "pressure" and "hustle" "terminally ill patients into death." You even predicted that "the chronically ill, the mentally anguished, babies born with defects, the elderly and disable" would soon be added to our list. You indicated a concern that this could become "murder."

Are you so naive as to believe that the denial of "freedom of individual choice" is the only thing standing between us and murder? I think your condemnation of our country's doctors, legal system and sense of morality was uncalled for. Is there anything you do believe in? About the only things you left out were apple pie, the flag and motherhood. I would like to request from you that, the next time I get a frantic call from a dying patient begging for someone to help them out of their suffering, you go to their bedside and explain to them why you believe their suffering is necessary.

Lovette M. Caples, chapter leader, Hemlock Society of Nevada