Doctor-Assisted Death Measure

Prop. 161 is not only about death with dignity. It’s about peace of mind. When my mother, terminally ill with ovarian cancer, learned that her daughter and son-in-law had found a way out for her, that she would be able to escape from the trap that life had become (her words), she became noticeably calm, tranquil, almost happy. My aunt, who didn’t know what we were plotting, couldn’t understand what had come over my mother. She seemed so changed. The panic and terror were gone.

If the initiative passes, I think few patients will make use of it. Mostly, people want to live, even when they suffer. However, to know that there is a way out, should they want it, will comfort them. That comfort, in itself, is merciful. My mother used to say she felt locked in a room and didn’t know where the key was. The initiative (with many safeguards in place) would end that cruel evasion. It doesn’t matter if people use the key or not. What matters is to know where it is.

BETTY ROLLIN

(Author of “Last Wish”)

New York