Assisted suicide in Montana hitting a dead end...

Here's another story that emphasizes the importance of the "conscience clause" and the right of medical health workers to follow their consciences;

Helena, MT (LifeNews.com) -- Like their counterparts in Washington state, a large number of doctors and hospitals in Montana are refusing to engage in assisted suicides. The state is the third to allow the practice -- at least until the Montana Supreme Court reviews a lower court's decision overturning the state's assisted suicide ban.

Four months after District Judge Dorothy McCarter opened the door for Montana to join Oregon and Washington in allowing the grisly practice, some potential suicide victims say they aren't finding any doctors who will aide them.

Compassion & Choices, the national pro-euthanasia group based in Colorado, held a conference call with reporters on Friday to highlight one woman's case.

"I feel as though my doctors do not feel able to respect my decision to choose aid in dying," pro-euthanasia officials read from a letter from 67-year-old Janet Murdock. "Access to physician aid in dying would restore my hope for a peaceful, dignified death in keeping with my values and beliefs." (and what about the values/beliefs of the doctors, don't they count?)

Dr. Kirk Stoner, the president of the Montana Medical Association, responded to the letter in an interview with the Associated Press.

His group initially upset pro-life advocates by refusing to submit legal papers against McCarter's decision to help state officials overturn it at the state supreme court. (So he plays on both sides of the street, interesting.)

He says he is not surprised that doctors are not stepping up to kill patients because they don't view that as their proper role.

"Our reason for being is to care for our patients," he said.

Kathryn Tucker, a lawyer for Compassion & Choices, says he hopes physicians will step up to the plate to help patients kill themselves.

"It's really said," she said. "Here we are after the ruling and Janet Murdock can't exercise that right." (Sure she can, just let her OD on prescribed meds.)

But Wesley J. Smith, a California attorney who is a noted bioethics watchdog, says the same spirit of non-cooperation with being complicit in assisted suicide that sprang to life in that state in the wake of the passage of I-1000 has spread to Montana. To him, that's good news.

"I am sorry, nobody has the right to force doctors to have a patient's blood on their hands. The woman has the right to medical care, palliation, and support of her community--and I hope she receives it," he explains.

"With proper care, she can be almost assured a peaceful passing. But while it is certainly true that she may have the right to ask for a lethal prescription--she doesn't have the right to receive it--at least not yet," he adds. (Even then the physicians should retain their right to refuse.)

"Because something is legal--in this matter due to judicial activism in the extreme--that doesn't make it right," Smith continues. "I hope every doctor in Montana puts a plaque in his or her office declaring, 'This is an assisted suicide free zone.'" (WOW! Neat idea.)

Smith says Compassion and Choices should focus on suicide prevention instead of making sure patients can kill themselves. (But that would be too much compassion and not enough "choice".)

Hey, I don't get it. If you really want to off yourself there must be a dozen easy ways to do it in most homes. So if these people wanting assisted suicide performed for them aren't just looking for an official okey-dokey from society at large just what the hell ARE they looking for?

I'm serious, take a look around the house and think of how many ways you could quickly end it all. That doesn't count abusing prescription meds you might have. And in that area my favorite story was recently on Breitbart.com, about a Russian guy who bet his two girlfriends he'd keep them satisfied for a full 24 hours straight. He chugged a bottle of Viagra and went to work, dying after winning his bet. Kind off a bummer but hey, what a way to go!

So if this isn't for sympathy on the part of the suicidees (is that even a word?) what is it? As for their proponents in "Compassion and Choices", I can only guess what they get out of it.