file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News/1991: pln-0116.txt --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 1, No. 16 November, 1991 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is intended to provide articles and news information to those interested in Pro-Life Issues. Questions to readers and articles for submissions are strongly encouraged. All submissions should be sent to the editor, Steve (frezza@ee.pitt.edu). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) THE UNDERSIDE OF EUTHANASIA by Pat. Buchanan Ann Wickett Humphry, 49, was a modern woman. She had it all. Blond-haired, blue-eyed and pretty, she was the daughter of a Boston Banker, A Peace Corp volunteer, a student of Shakespeare who had studied for a doctorate in English literature, an author and co-founder with husband Derek of the "death with dignity" Hemlock Society. A month ago Ann Wickett Humphry went out and killed herself. Gary Abrams of the Los Angeles Times describes her death: On Oct. 2 Ann left Windfall Farm, her 50 acre ranch near Eugene, Ore. hitching up a horse trailer with her favorite Arabian gelding, she drove to the mtn. town of Sisters. She turned off toward Three Creeks Meadows, parked saddled her horse, rode three miles up a trail, veered into the woods, dismounted, removed saddle and bridal, turned her horse loose, sat down,swallowed some pills and waited for death. Six days later, sheriff's men spotted her blond hair in the decaying autumnal leaves. Sound like a lovely way to die. It wasn't. Ann Wickett left a typed suicide note full of bitterness and resentment. "There. You got what you wanted," she wrote her ex-husband: "Ever since I was diagnosed as having cancer, you have done everything conceivable to precipitate my death...what you did, desertion and abandonment and subsequent harassment of a dying woman, is so unspeakable there are not words to describe the horror of it." A copy of that note was sent to Rita Marker, who had become Ann's close friend. "Rita," a hand-written postscript read: "Derek...is a killer. I know. Jean actually died of suffocation. I could never say it until now, who would believe me? Do the best you can. Ann." Rita Marker heads the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, "Jean" was Derek Humphry's first wife, subject of his best selling "Jeans's Way" (written with Ann's help), in which Humphry describes the cup of coffee he concocted with pain killers and an overdose of drugs, to end her life. Jean was dying of incurable cancer. The lonely death of Ann Wickett should expose the dark underside of the right-to-die movement, before it wins [what would have been] its greatest victory ever: In the state of Washington, the Nov.5 [approval of] initiative 119 would [have] give[n] the United States the worlds' first euthanasia law, granting a physician the right to kill a patient who asked in writing to die, and whom two doctors had diagnosed as having less than six months to live. The law would [have] also permit[ed] the terminally ill to commit suicide with a doctor's help. Because Derek Humphry heads Hemlock, because he is American's leading advocate of assisted suicide whose how to kill yourself manual "Final Exit' is another best-seller, his second wife's death is more than a personal tragedy. British journalist Cal McCrystal, who knew both when they were married 15 years ago, confirms much of Ann's story: "A month after I saw her" in 1990 McCrystal writes, "she wrote that she was devastated" over her husband's affair with a(a woman) half his age. She wrote "that Derek is trying to kill me and I don't think there is any doubt about that - help. I think Derek's role in death and dying dovetails with part of him that is injured and indeed somewhat sinister. It's important for him to play a part in encouraging people to die, even nudging them on you might say." Derek "has done everything conceivable," Ann wrote McCrystal, "To try and sabotage any and all survival attempts..now flaunting publicly the fact that he has a new mistress and has bought a new house for her. He knows this will get back to me and he knows the killing effect of this news. In a word: Is this a person who is trying to be loving and supportive?" Humphry denies he smothered his first wife with pillow, remains proud that he assisted her suicide, and admits participating in the double suicide of Ann's parents. (Ann used her inheritance from her parents to buy Windfall Farms.) At Hemlock, those who remember Ann support Humphry's story that she was mentally unstable. America has entered a post-Christian era. Men and women who disbelieve in God and the immortality of the soul are no longer willing to live by the old beliefs. they want their right to abort unwanted children, to put terminally ill parents out of their misery, to take their own lives, when they, and no one else, decided it is time to die. They intend to make themselves the gods of their own destiny. And if the law refuses to give them the freedom to do as they demand, some, like Dr. Jack Kevorkian in Michigan and Derek Humprhy at Hemlock, do as they wish, and let the law try to apprehend and prosecute them. The number of those who reject traditional morality as rooted in superstition is now legion. Thirty years ago, there was a national debate over whether a woman carrying a Thalidomide child should be permitted to have an abortion. The woman had to fly to Sweden to get it. Now there are 1.6 million legal abortions yearly in the United States and abortion is, for a large segment America, a valid form of birth control. But just as "Silent Scream" pulled back the curtain, showing the reality of abortion, an unborn child recoiling from the death needle, perhaps the tragic end of Ann Wickett Humphry, in the Oregon wilderness alone, will give us a glimpse of what lies behind that comforting phrase "Death with Dignity." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) IN THE NEWS... Recently, the State of Washington has voted on two matters, that if passed, would have rocked the nation. These were the infamous initiatives 119 and 120: Initiative 119 would allow doctors to assist in suicide of terminally patients. Initiative 120 would allow the most liberal abortion laws anywhere in country. Here is a summary of what they contain: Initiative 119 119 will permit doctors to assist in the termination of life in terminally ill patients. Certain provisions must be met: 1. The patient must be of sound mind. 2. Two doctors must agree that the patient has less than six months to live. 3. (paraphrased) Intervenious food and water may be denied. Comments: 119 requires neither that family notification be given, nor for doctors to report the termination procedures performed, nor for any peer reviews. This could allow abuses. Many fear that patients could be pressured by family or others to "do the right thing" and not be a burden on the family or society. Many think this is the first stepping stone the kind of genocide reminiscent of the Nazi plan to eliminate the poor, sick, retarded, and finally the undesirable. They feel that once the euthanasia dike is breached, killing for reasons less traumatic reasons will be much easier. Initiative 120 The pro-abortion forces all over the country are anticipating the overturn of Roe vs Wade and are engaging in "pre-emptive strikes" on the state level. Washington State presently has in effect abortion laws that permit: 1. Abortion through the first 4 months of pregnancy. 2. Parental notification 3. Doctors must perform abortions. Items 1 and 2 are in an un-enforced state right now due to Roe vs Wade. Initiative 120, if passed, will allow and/or require 1. Abortion of pregnancy until "fetal viability" for any reason. 2. No spousal or parental notification. 3. The state must spend for abortion services and education, an amount equal to that spent and maternity and infant services and education. 4. Health care workers may assist in abortions. 5. Doctors who perform abortions will decide fetal viability and their opinion and decision will be a defense in any litigation. Anti 120 forces contend: 1. "Fetal Viability" in the initiative is too vaguely defined. Cases could be made that the fetus is not viable until actually born. The doctors who perform the actual abortions will the the only judge of viability. No review process will protect women or the unborn. 2. Vague language in the initiative will allow those other than doctors to perform abortions. 3. Taxes will have to be increased to permit the added expense of abortion services and education. Initiative 119 was defeated 56%(against) to 44%(for) To my knowledge, Initiative 120 was defeated, but the margin was so narrow that the question may well be decided by the absentee ballots. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (3) READER COMMENTARY ON "Death with Dignity:" The voters in Washington rejected Initiative 119, officially known as the Death With Dignity proposal, and I listened to various broadcast reports of this fact. I noticed that all of the names given to the proposal were generally positive. Unfortunately, proponents couldn't omit the idea of death completely as with "pro-choice" instead of "pro-abortion" but they could mask this killing in noble terms: "Death with Dignity." Death is inevitable and dignity is certainly a good thing. "Euthanasia" means a good death. "Mercy killing," which I also heard, has the word "killing" but "mercy" is a very good thing, a virtue in itself. There will be other "Death With Dignity" proposals as initiatives or as bills introduced in legislatures. While the controversy is still fairly new there is a chance to influence the popular vocabulary. I suggest the right to life movement generalize the name given to Dr. Kevorkian and refer to these proposals as "Doctor Death" laws, bills, etc.. This term is devoid of positive connotations and emphasizes that the proposals would turn doctors, who are traditionally healers, into killers. - - - - - - - Incidentally, I trust it is obvious that one must not be obsessive about using terms like that. A friend once reported hearing a militant vegetarian on a radio talk show; The vegetarian constantly referred to eating "dead flesh" even going back and correcting herself when she once said "flesh" instead of "dead flesh". My friend wondered why she was being so careful not to condemn the eating of live flesh. - Submitted by reader Marty Helgesen ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) ACL NORTHEAST REGIONAL TRAINING CONFERENCE On November 15-17, American Collegians for Life is holding a Northeast Regional Training Conference in Boston (at Harvard University). It should be fun, and informative. Its supposed to be a weekend designed to equip pro-life students with the organizational tools they need to be effective. Interested parties can contact Mike Arnum at BZMY@CORNELLA.cit.cornell.edu or by more conventional means at (607) 277-8312, Box #81, Willard Straight Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-8201. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) FEMINISTS FOR LIFE We owe the conservatives our greatest thanks for carrying the pro-life philosophy on. But what about the liberals? There are a lot of people who do not have exactly conservative views towards society, and who've been "excommunicated" from their own persuasion, because they happen to be for the rights of the pre-born, out of consistency. Are you one of these people? Then consider the Feminists for Life. The Feminists for Life is one of the most mature and broad-minded pro-life organizations of liberal persuasion. Only from them would you ever find out that Susan B. Anthony and her feminist movement, strongly opposed abortion! For more info write: Feminists for Life 811 East 47th Street Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 753-2130 If you are a feminist at heart but espouse pro-life beliefs, please contact cs35a216@athena.ecs.csus.edu (Steve Chaney). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Quote of the month: "No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed... but oh! thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime." - Susan B. Anthony +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Credits: | |(2)- From the 11/3/91 edition of the New Hampshire News; Submitted | | by reader Chris Bord. | |QOM- From "The Revolution" 4(1): 4, July 8, 1869. Provided by | | reader Steve Chaney | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Anyone desiring information on specific prolife groups, literature, tapes, or help with problems is encouraged to contact the editor. end v1n16 ------------------------------------------------------------