To Board: "Even Sen. Blewett & Dr. Speckart have admitted that assisted suicide is not legal"

Subject: PLEASE Vacate Position Statement No. 20

I have written you before and I continue to request that you vacate your Position Statement No. 20. Even Sen. Blewett & Dr. Speckart have admitted that assisted suicide is not legal in Montana (see http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blewett_speckhart_trans_001.pdf ) How can the Board make it legal?

Sandra A Wedel Great Falls, MT

Board: "Please do not go down Washington's path"

Subject: Position Statement No. 20

To the Board of Medical Examiners:

I am an attorney in Bellevue, Washington.

My law practice emphasizes elder law and probate matters. I am writing to urge you to VACATE Position Statement No. 20.

Instances of elder abuse have risen significantly in recent years. Assisted suicide provides an easy cover for an abuser who coerces a vulnerable adult into “signing up” rather than “burdening” the expectant heir. Warning signs of financial abuse often go unrecognized by physicians and others.

You are undoubtedly aware that assisted suicide is unfortunately legal in Washington. I support the position of Montanans Against Assisted Suicide. Please do not go down Washington’s path.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.

Theresa Schrempp
theresas@lawyerseattle.com
Sonkin & Schrempp, PLLC
12715 Bel Red Rd Ste. 150
Bellevue WA 98005
425 289.3444 direct

Ted Friesen: "They would be dead before their time"

As published in the Senior News for August/September 2012:

I was glad to see the advertising in your publication by Montanans Against Assisted Suicide & For Living with Dignity.  Assisted suicide is an important topic for Montana where  proponents are wrongly claiming that the practice is legal and the majority of the population are senior citizens (over 50 years of age).

I retired from the Motion Picture Pension and Health Plans in Studio City, California, as the Chief Financial Officer.  One reason that I retired to Montana was that I had the perception that it was senior citizen friendly, unlike Oregon and Washington, which have adopted laws allowing doctors and family members to assist people in killing themselves.  That was repugnant to me. 

The proposed legalization is for terminally-ill persons.  “Terminally-ill” is a term that I am all too familiar with.  In my previous employment, one would need to be terminally-ill to qualify for a pension if they had not attained a specified age.  Many, many times doctors deemed someone terminally-ill and they wound up outliving their care-givers, not really but they lived many years.  If these persons had instead been applying for a lethal dose and used it, they would be dead before their time.

Ted Friesen, Big Fork

To Board: " The representatives of the people did not chose legalization"

Subject: Statement 20

July 19, 2012

Dear Members of the Montana Board of Medical Examiners,

Please add my name to those requesting that you vacate Position Statement Number 20. During the last legislative session Senator Anders Blewett stated that suicide was not legal in Montana. His Senate Bill 167 died in committee. The representatives of the people did not chose legalization.

Assisted suicide is too often legalized elder abuse. Suicide is already a problem in our state.

Representative Janna Taylor
House District 11