Assisted Suicide Bill

Re “Assisted Suicide Bill Put on Hold Until Next Year,” May 29: Physician-assisted suicide (AB 1592) was jammed through the Assembly Appropriations Committee May 27 in the late afternoon, after leadership had said it wouldn’t be brought up. Now the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), says it won’t be voted on the floor until next year. Are we to believe her?

In the Netherlands, patients are afraid to go to the doctor for fear of being euthanized. How can any psychiatrist treat depressed, suicidal patients if the law says they can demand to be killed? In Nazi Germany, the mentally retarded and other sick, who were called “useless eaters,” were given involuntary euthanasia, as the “right to die” became the duty to die. Hitler is alive and well. He walks the state of California and dwells in its legislative and judicial halls. Interesting that for the most part the media do not speak out against this forced expansion of anti-life legislation. Do they honestly believe that they, their children and grandchildren will be immune from harm?

MARY KNIGHT MD

Huntington Beach