By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA
“Aid in Dying” has been a euphemism for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia since at least 1992.
Per the American Medical Association, "physician-assisted suicide" occurs when a doctor facilitates a patient’s death by providing the means or information to enable a patient to perform the life-ending act. "Euthanasia" is the administration of a lethal agent to a patient.
Persons assisting a suicide or euthanasia can have an agenda. Reported motives have included: the “thrill” of getting other people to kill themselves; and wanting to see another person die.
The proposed Delaware Act (HB 140) has a formal application process to obtain the lethal dose. Once the lethal dose is issued by the pharmacy, there is no required oversight. No witness, not even a doctor or other medical person is required to be present at a patient's death.
The proposed drugs used to kill patients are water or alcohol soluble. This is significant because the drugs used can thereby be injected into a sleeping or restrained person without the person's consent. If the person objected or struggled against administration, would anyone know?”
Delaware law prevents a person who kills another person, i.e., commits homicide, from inheriting from the person that he or she killed. The rationale is that a criminal should not be allowed to benefit from his or her crime.
Per HB 140, however, a person who intentionally kills another person will be allowed to inherit. This is because deaths occurring pursuant to HB 140 will be treated as natural, as if the person who died, had died from natural causes as opposed to a lethal dose."
In the event of the Act’s passage, Delaware residents with money, meaning the middle class and above, will be rendered sitting ducks to their heirs. Passage of the Act would create a perfect crime.
