"She's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people." - unattributed
In a March 3, 2015 letter to the editor, Connecticut retired insurance executive and yoga instructor, Linda Alexander, M.D., advocates providing “any treatment” to “all who request it”; this clearly includes euthanasia for everyone on demand. She does not even restrict her comments to those who are terminally ill or adults. Sound outrageous? It might, except her suggestions are just a judge’s opinion or administrative ruling away from what is being proposed at the state Capitol this year and is consistent with statements for expansion made by other advocates for assisted suicide.
At a Compassion & Choices’ press conference at the Connecticut State Capitol Building in February 2013, one of the speakers advocated extending any future Connecticut “aid in dying” law to the mentally incompetent. At an October 2014 event in Hartford, Compassion & Choices President, Barbara Coombs Lee stated with regard to including people with dementia and cognitive declines, that “It is an issue for another day but is no less compelling”. Compassion & Choices is the successor to The Hemlock Society. The Final Exit Network advocates suicide and euthanasia for people “when they judge the quality of their life to be unacceptable”. These statements, among others, reveal a broader, more radical agenda.
This former insurance company executive’s letter is an example of why the Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Physicians and Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association all strongly oppose physician assisted suicide. They state in their testimony that assisted suicide would be “difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.” They know better than anyone that with a license from the state, many medical personnel will be unable to avoid the temptation of social expansion of assisted suicide to people outside of the initially “carefully” selected categories. For more information on this phenomena, consult this academic article: Legalizing Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide, the Illusion of Safeguards and Controls.
Don’t even get me started about her dog comment . . . I’ll let Stephen Drake of Not Dead Yet take it from here.