Liz Jeffords supported death with dignity

April 26, 2007

Your April 14 article on the Liz Jeffords' death did not mention that she died of starvation as reported in the Rutland Herald. It took three weeks. Good Friday she told a reporter, "I'm very much at peace; I'm feeling discomfort, but this is not painful for me because I have not allowed the cancer to take over. I have made the decision."

Like Jeffords, I now have to resort to starvation when I cannot stand living with my terminal cancer any longer. I have been on ravaging chemo for 2½ years now. So would you really call her or my taking my life suicide? Her Good Friday statement describes the whole point of our having an end of life choice as people do now in Oregon. Just recently the H.44 bill allowing terminals to obtain a prescription failed in the Vermont House.

The Catholic Church, on the Sunday before the vote used its pulpits and captive audience to hand out phone numbers of House legislators; in my opinion, when you tie opposition to this bill to saving your immortal soul, the bounds of separation of church and state are violated. "We really do need the little pill," she said, referring to the ability for the chronically ill to end their lives with medical help. "I get tired of people who are so, what's the word, presumptuous they have God's ear. From my mouth: You don't know any more than I know. They have a right to believe what they believe, but don't shove it down my throat. There's where I get angry." Jeffords was born a Catholic but she overcame her church's narrowness at least on this issue.

Too bad the Vermont that she loved could not overcome its narrowness and pass H.44.

As Gov. Douglas said in the same article, "She was always a strong, courageous voice for common sense and independence in the Vermont tradition." Too bad he opposed the H. 44; it would have eliminated her discomfort the three weeks it took for her to starve to death. But there will be another election in less than two years. We do not starve our pets to end their life. The campaign starts now. We need to elect people pro-Liz!

MARIA WALSH
Londonderry