For Immediate Release
September 25, 2012
Contact: Tim Rosales
617-902-0662
Disability Rights leaders reach out to Elizabeth Warren regarding ‘No On 2’
Ask to meet and discuss reasons why many progressives oppose assisted suicide
Boston, MA – State and national disability rights/social justice advocates are asking Massachusetts United States Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren to meet about Ballot Question 2 and discuss their reasons for strongly opposing this measure to legalize assisted suicide. The disability rights leaders include: John Kelly – Executive Director of Second Thoughts and former Chair of the Boston Disability Advisory Commission, Karen Shneiderman – Senior Advocacy Specialist for Boston Center for Independent Living Inc, Marilyn Golden – Senior Policy Analyst for the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund and Diane Coleman – President of Not Dead Yet. All are part of the diverse coalition that oppose legalization of assisted suicide, which is what Ballot Question 2 would do in Massachusetts if approved.
“Ballot question 2 contains a number of problematic issues that raise red flags with progressive voters. These are arguments and perspectives Ms. Warren may not have heard yet, and are asking for the opportunity to meet and brief her and her team,” said John Kelly, Executive Director of Second Thoughts and former Chair of the Advisory Board to the Boston Disability Commission.
“We already have seen serious cost cutting pressures. We constantly hear about the costs of caring for people in the last year of their lives. We can point to examples in Oregon and Washington, where assisted suicide is legal of these implicit and explicit cost pressures. Ballot question 2 legalizes a $100 lethal prescription and that sends a terrible message to people living with serious illness or disability.
“As a lifelong Democrat, I have a deep respect for Ms. Warren. I truly hope we are able to discuss this issue that is so critically important to the Massachusetts disability community.”
Yesterday to WTKK-FM, Elizabeth Warren made a comment that she was leaning toward supporting assisted suicide legalization.
Disability rights organizations that have come out in opposition to legalization of assisted suicide include:
American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT), Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Boston Center for Independent Living, Disability Policy Consortium, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Justice For All (JFA), MetroWest Center for Independent Living, National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), National Spinal Cord Injury Association, Not Dead Yet (NDY), TASH, The World Association of Persons with Disabilities (WAPD), The World Institute on Disability (WID).
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You can access the original press release here.
Background: Apparently, Ms. Warren said she was ‘leaning’ toward supporting Ballot Question 2 – which would legalize assisted suicide in Massachusetts. It’s hard to believe that Ms. Warren has taken a close look at the wording of proposed legislation, virtually identical to statutes in Oregon and Washington states. As one of the leading consumer advocates in the country, she’s better equipped than most to look at legislation – including ‘safeguards’ – and see just who gets the highest level of protection under the law.
Here’s an example from a ‘Safeguards’ fact sheet from the Disability Rights and Defense Fund (DREDF):
Spurious Safeguard #4: Doctors will be held legally accountable.
In Fact: Oregon’s law establishes a standard that protects doctors from legal liability if they act in “good faith.” This is almost impossible to disprove. It legalizes negligence.
Remember the old adage ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse’? A “Good Faith” standard against legal liability provides not just an excuse, but ironclad immunity from any legal liability or accountability.
More as this story develops…