Pregnancy Center Saved Me

By Jean Marie Davis, Opinion Contributor (pictured right)*

Not long ago, I stood before the Vermont Senate and testified about my experience as a human trafficking survivor who became the first black female pregnancy center director in the state.  

I had been asked to testify against a bill targeting pro-life pregnancy help centers, falsely claiming that we “mislead” the public about our services.  

But my story puts the lie to this narrative and proves the beautiful truth of our work — that pregnancy centers love, serve and commit ourselves to the men, women and children of our communities who need our help. We know firsthand how our assistance can transform someone’s life. 

More People Going to Vermont to Die

Ever since Vermont removed its residency requirement for medical aid in dying last year [assisted suicide & euthanasia], Dr. Diana Barnard hasn’t been able to keep up with the phone calls from would-be patients.

"It can be hard. I have, like, three calls sitting on my phone right now," she said during a conversation at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, (pictured here) where she works as a palliative care physician.

Assisted Suicide Statistics

Isaac Jackson, Esq.

By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

According to an article in yesterday's Vermont Digger: 

The report released this week —  which covered the two years between July 1, 2017, June 30, 2019 — said that 34 patients qualified for the terminal prescriptions under Vermont’s law. Of those, 24 had cancer, four had ALS, three had neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, and three others had unspecified conditions.

A few years ago, I investigated a death under Oregon's similar law in conjunction with attorney Isaac Jackson. There was a near complete lack of transparency in which even the police were unable to obtain verifying information regarding deaths under the law. To learn more, click here.

First State Report on Vermont Assisted Suicide

From True Dignity Vermont

On January 15, 2018, the Vermont Department of Health presented its first report to the legislature and public on the implementation of the state’s physician assisted suicide law. The legislature had passed the law, Act 39, in 2013 and replaced it in 2015 with Act 27, which maintains Act 39 under “Oregon-style” regulations, including a requirement for biennial reporting.

The law has been in effect for four years, and the current report covers all of them.

Repeal Physician-Assisted Suicide Now

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/opinion/comment-debate/2014/07/30/repeal-physician-assisted-suicide-now/13334997/

By Michele Morin

I'm confused. Years ago we did away with the death penalty in Vermont (and rightly so) because we understood that despite the care and precision of our legal system, mistakes could be made and an innocent person could be wrongly put to death. The Legislature wasn't willing to take that chance and so abolished the death penalty.

Now we have Act 39 (physician-assisted suicide), another law whose only purpose is to result in the death of one of our citizens. Yet this law, with shockingly few protections and no oversight at all by our judicial system, passed the Legislature.

What is the difference here? A wrongful death is a wrongful death is a wrongful death.

Assisted Suicide Bill Passes

Shumlin

On May 20, 2013, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed S.77, an assisted suicide law, which creates legal paths of abuse and exploitation against persons who fall within its terms. 

Jackowski: Assisted Suicide Is Not the Answer

https://vtdigger.org/2013/05/20/jackowski-assisted-suicide-is-not-the-answer/

Editor's note, This op-ed is by Rosemarie Jackowski, an advocacy journalist and peace activist who is the author of "Banned in Vermont."

The “assisted suicide bill” does exactly what it is designed not to do. It will eliminate choice for the most vulnerable. Unintended consequences are sure to follow. We need more, not fewer rights. Government-approved suicide as an end-of-life option does not give more rights — in reality it takes them away.