THERE IS NO ALOHA IN ASSISTED SUICIDE!
From Honolulu Republican Party, February 24, 2018
The joint House Committees on Health & Human Services and Judiciary have scheduled a hearing on HB-2739 (Relating to Health; aka "Our Care, Our Choice Act;" aka Physician Assisted Suicide) on: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 @ 10:30 a.m. in the Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium
Your testimony in opposition to this bill is needed NOW!
All testimonies must be submitted by 10am on Monday, February 28th, 24 hours prior to the hearing in order to be considered.
Testimonies, can be any length, comprehensive and thorough, or simple. Rule of thumb...let it be you, write from your heart and always be respectful.
If you are planning on going down to testify in person as well, be aware that there may be a time limit. It could be two minutes or even one minute. It is recommended you state you stand by your written testimony and would like to add the following comments, then keep it simple, hit key points from your written statement or a personal story. Just remember you're on a time limit.
Here is a guide on How to Submit Testimony.
What Is Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)?
With PAS, a doctor prescribes the deadly drug, but the patient self-administers it. While most activists publicly call only for PAS, they have historically further advocated for euthanasia (the intentional killing of the patient by a doctor), once the PAS door has been opened.
So don’t be fooled, legalizing PAS would be a grave mistake for Hawaii because it:
- Endangers our weak and vulnerable (our disabled and kapuna),
- Corrupts the practice of medicine and the doctor–patient relationship (PAS will turn affordable health care on its head by forcing us to endorse patient suicide, not patient care, as our public policy for dealing with pain and the financial burdens of care at the end of life),
- Compromises the family and intergenerational commitments (exclude family members from the actual decision making process to guard against patients being pressured to end their lives prematurely), and
- Betrays human dignity and equality before the law (In 1997 the United States Supreme Court ruled that a state has an interest in preserving life and preventing intentional killing that outweighs a citizen’s liberty interest in choosing when, where, and how die).
HB-2739, which would legalize PAS, is fatally flawed...
Instead of embracing PAS, we should respond with ALOHA! Those seeking PAS typically suffer from depression and loneliness. Instead of helping them to kill themselves, we should offer them appropriate medical care and human comfort. For those in physical pain, palliative medicine can manage their pain and symptoms effectively. For those whom death is imminent, hospice care and fellowship can comfort them in their last days. Anything less is not pono and contradicts our Aloha spirit.
Stories of the Unintended Consequences.
Respectfully,
Brett Kulbis
Honolulu County Chairman