Prop. 161 Support Cause for Sadness

I was shocked and saddened to read a position of support for Proposition 161 voiced by two prominent Orange County physicians, Warren L. Bostick and C. Ronald Koons (“Embrace a Chance to Ease Life’s Final Pain, Suffering,” Commentary, Sept. 16).

To suggest assisted suicide is not killing if a patient consents is ridiculous. In the same paragraph, these good doctors state, “doctors must not kill, ever.”

Well, my dictionary defines kill as “to cause the death of, to put an end to.” It does not suggest there is a difference whether someone has consented or not. Perhaps these doctors meant to use the word murder , which is defined as “the intentional and unlawful killing of a person.”

It is a sad day for our society when some citizens, so fearful of life which includes the dying experience, introduce a proposition to legalize euthanasia. It is a sadder day when physicians who supposedly live by the Hippocratic oath condone any physician’s participation in murder.

Shall we have a scarlet letter to hang around physicians’ necks along with their stethoscopes-- M for murderer? MD takes on a whole new meaning--murdering doctor.

LORETTA M. CARGILL

Santa Ana