The excellent letter below was published in the Caledonian Record (www.caledonianrecord.com).
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10/28/2011
Focus On What Matters In Vermont, Not Assisted Suicide – Kathleen Grange
To the Editor:
Here we go again! Out-of-state forces are once again pressuring our governor and key legislators to take up assisted suicide legislation in the 2012 session. And along with these forces comes out-of-state funding to promote assisted suicide (or better described as doctor-prescribed death/suicide, since the doctor writes a prescription for lethal drugs to cause the death of a person).
We have Vermont families who are struggling to put their lives together after Tropical Storm Irene. We have communities strapped with financial responsibilities because of the storm, and we are now heading into the winter months, where road budgets will be stretched further. We have state facilities that were devastated by the storm and state workers displaced, and the list goes on.
It is imperative that the upcoming legislative session deals with storm-related and economic issues in a timely, efficient manner. It would be a mistake for the legislators to waste time, energy, and taxpayer funds on such a divisive issue as doctor-prescribed death. Our resources are limited, but our focus must be on getting our state on the road to recovery.
Mrs. Kathleen Grange
Graniteville, Vt.