1019 University Ave. #7B Honolulu, HI 96826 Phone: 808-943-1595 Fax:808-942-5411 http://www.hrtl.org/

Who we are: Hawaii Right to Life is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit, grassroots civil rights organization with one goal--to uphold the sanctity of human life. Founded in 1970 with the legalization of abortion in Hawaii, Hawaii Right to Life is comprised of a C3 non-profit educational foundation, a non-profit corporation, and a political action committee.

Our position on assisted suicide and euthanasia: Hawaii Right to Life is unequivocally opposed to the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Though we are non-sectarian, we believe strongly in the fundamental right to life and the moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable and preserve the sanctity of human life. Although our objections to assisted suicide and euthanasia are fundamentally moral objections, there are a number of issues and concerns specific to the issue that further illustrate the danger it poses to our society and the vulnerable.

Specific Areas of Concern

Abuse: Studies have shown, and the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed, that it is impossible for assisted suicide to exist legally without accompanying abuses. Nor can safeguards be adequate protection against the threat of abuse. Both in the United States, where assisted suicide is illegal in most states, and in the Netherlands, where strict safeguards supposedly guard against abuses, doctors have been found to ignore the law and safeguards. Coercion is an important factor in such abuse, not only from financial or family pressure, but also from doctors and society—the creation of a "right" to die can easily be transformed into a "duty" to die.

Assisted suicide is an elitist fantasy that never takes into account problems of discriminatory care and the ordinary prejudices and inequalities of our society. Those most at risk from abuse are those that usually end up on the short side of social experiments-the poor, the handicapped, the elderly, and minorities. We have a moral duty to protect society's most vulnerable from the threat of such abuse- To pass legislation that puts them so clearly at risk for the sake of an elite few is dangerous and irresponsible.

Philosophical Objections: In a 1997 decision (Washington v. Glucksherg), the U.S. Supreme Court found that there is no constitutional right to suicide. Society has an obligation not only to protect human life, but also to show that all its members are valued, thereby discourage the would-be suicide.

Most arguments in favor of assisted suicide stress the need for personal autonomy, but these arguments willfully misrepresent the issue at stake. Not only does the claim to autonomy presuppose that an individual operates with a complete lack of responsibility and worth to the community at large, an impossible and undesirable position, but it ignores the fact that when speaking of assisted suicide, autonomy is no longer- a true issue. Instead, assisted suicide asks, not whether it is morally permissible to commit suicide, but whether it is permissible to have another party participate in your suicide. The right to control one's own actions and decisions does not extend to the actions of another. Thus, this asserted right to an assisted suicide transforms itself into a contract or authorization for one person to end another's life. Society has never condoned private contractual killing no matter what the motives. To do so would be to hopelessly devalue human life.

The Slippery Slope: Although assisted suicide advocates would like you to believe that safeguards will prevent abuse and a slide towards involuntary euthanasia, this is contrary to every reputable study. Among the reasons the Supreme Court stated for denying the "right" to assisted suicide was that the state had a compelling interest in preventing the inevitable abuse and slide towards euthanasia. In the Netherlands, where safeguards exist and euthanasia is widely practiced, the government's own report finds nearly a thousand people a year being euthanized without their knowledge or consent.

Proposed Alternatives: We support legislation that would ban assisted suicide, as well as any constructive alternatives that could help eliminate the call for such drastic and dangerous action. We especially see the need for better pain management, legislation that would keep patients better informed regarding hospice and pain relief, fiscal relief for the expenses of pain management and hospice care, and better support for the disabled community. And, of course we support the effort to better inform the public of the dangers of assisted suicide, the reasons why it is unnecessary, and the alternatives that can be achieved.

Ho'omaika'i Ke Ola Ka Pong Lehua Me Ka Make
Respect For Life From Conception To Natural Death

HPACC members are:

• Hawaii Medical Association
• Hawaii Nurses Association
• Healthcare Association of Hawaii
• Hawaii Cancer Pain Initiative
• Not Dead Yet (Disability Rights Organization)
• Disability Rights Hawaii
• Hawaii Centers for Independent Living
• Hawaii Family Forum
• Hawaii Catholic Conference
• Hawaii Right to Life

6301 Pali Highway
Kaneohe, HI 96744-5224
Phone: (808) 203-6704
Fax: (808) 261-7022
hpacc@hpacc.org