http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20130313/OPINION/303130037/On-our-minds-Fires-suicide-bill-breweries
My husband, Dr. James
E. Mungas, was a respected physician and surgeon here in Great Falls.
He developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and I took care of him. His
mind was clear and thought processes unimpaired. He was against assisted
suicide and euthanasia.
I needed to
travel out of town for a day and a half. We agreed he would stay at a
local care facility in my absence. Once there, nurses began
administering morphine. After the first dose, my husband knew that he
had been overdosed and typed out a message to call respiratory therapy.
None came that day. Over the next few days, he struggled to breathe and
desperately struggled to remain conscious to communicate, but the nurses
kept pushing the morphine button and advised our children to do the
same. My children and I did not understand the extent morphine would
repress the respiratory system until later. This
was neither palliative care nor managing pain; this was hastening
death. He was effectively euthanized against his will. He did not get
his choice. It is traumatic, still, to realize his last communications
were attempts to get help.
As
illustrated by my husband's case, doctors and nurses already misuse or
abuse the power they have. The stakes are too high to consider expanding
their power by legalizing assisted-suicide. The recent guest column by
Dr. Stephen Speckart and other doctors claims that assisted suicide is
already legal. For that reason, I support House Bill 505, which clearly
states that assisted suicide is not legal.
— Carol Mungas,
Great Falls
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012311260039&nclick_check=1
In the Nov. 16 Tribune article, Brad Williams is correct; assisted-suicide is not legal in Montana. The Montana Supreme Court decision, Baxter v. State, merely gives doctors a potential defense to prosecution for homicide. In the 2011 legislative session, Sen. Anders Blewett and I introduced competing bills in response to Baxter, neither of which passed. His bill sought to legalize assisted-suicide; mine sought to eliminate the defense.
During the hearing on Blewett's bill, he conceded that assisted-suicide was not legal under Baxter. He said, "Under the current law ... there's nothing to protect the doctor from prosecution." Similar statements were made by others. For example, Dr. Stephen Speckart testified, "Most physicians feel significant 'dis-ease,' with the limited safeguards and possible risk of criminal prosecution after the Baxter decision." To view a transcript, see: http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blewett_speckhart_trans_001.pdf
Legal assisted-suicide is, regardless, a recipe for elder abuse in which heirs are empowered to pressure and abuse older people to cut short their lives. Assisted-suicide is not legal in Montana. The potential defense to prosecution is, however, a "toe in the door," which could lead to legalization in the future. Tell your legislators that you support reversing the defense to keep assisted-suicide out of Montana.
Sen. Greg Hinkle,
Thompson Falls
On April 6, 2012, attorney Craig Charlton wrote Dr. George Risi and Dr. Stephen Speckart requesting a retraction of their solicitation letter encouraging other doctors to engage in assisted suicide contrary to state law.
The letter was sent via Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested and Regular U.S. Mail. To date, neither Dr. Risi nor Dr. Speckart have responded. A web version of the letter is set forth below. For the original print version, click here.
Dear Dr. Risi and Dr. Speckart:
I represent Montanans Against Assisted Suicide & For Living with Dignity. We are in receipt of the enclosed letter signed by you, which was mailed to doctors in Montana. I am putting you on notice that the letter exists, that it has been widely distributed, and that the letter has false and misleading information.
