Politicians differ on Proposal B

Michigan, nationally known for its automobile industry, cherry festival and prestigious universities, has recently been gaining fame that has moved it to the forefront of a national debate.

The debate strikes a chord with every person who has ever felt the pain of a death in the family.

Physician assisted suicide began centuries ago across the globe. Since its conception, the practice has been legalized in parts of Europe, but its use in the United States continues to spark controversy.

And with Jack Kevorkian, the former physician now nicknamed the "Doctor of Death," residing and practicing in Michigan, the state has taken the lead in this national discussion.

Last March, the state Senate and House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Sen. William Van Regenmorter (R-Hudsonville) that bans any individual from aiding in the death of another. After Gov. John Engler signed the bill late this August, the bill became law, imposing a fine and possible jail time on anyone caught aiding in a person's suicide.

That bill could be voided if a ballot initiative making physician assisted suicide legal for terminally ill, mentally competent adults - called Proposal B - sponsored by Merian's Friends passes on Nov. 3. The group gathered 379,000 signatures to get language on the ballot in support of assisted suicide.

In addition, former Kevorkian lawyer Geoffrey Fieger received the Democratic nomination for governor in July and is currently using the issue to attack Engler.

Merian's Friends, named for former Ann Arbor resident Merian Frederick who ended her life with Kevorkian's aid, fought for more than a year to get the language on the ballot, including a last-minute attempt to substitute their language for the bill that passed the Legislature.

Ed Pierce, chair of Merian's Friends, said the process of getting signatures was a very difficult one, but he thinks it will pay off in the end. The group was forced to hire a firm to collect most of the signatures, at a cost of $750,000 to the group.

"All the polls have held up fairly well," Pierce said. "Sixty percent are for the initiative, 35 percent against. But we're currently polling again."

But Proposal B faces stiff opposition from a coalition that Pierce said has threatened to spend $5 million to assure the proposal is defeated. The opposition includes the Catholic Conference, the Michigan Medical Society and the Right to Life Michigan movement.

RLM President Barbara Listing said in an article published on the organizations Website that by having to pay to get signatures, Merian's Friends showed the lack of support for the bill.

"This initiative will only succeed through misrepresentation," Listing said. "They will ignore our legislation to revolutionize pain management, they will ignore the hope for curing cancer and they will try to brainwash us into believing that killing is a new form of healing."

Fieger came out of nowhere and gained the right to face off with Engler in November, but he has been using his much-publicized defense of Kevorkian to appeal to audiences. Fieger said he does not personally support assisted suicide or abortion, rather for him it is a civil rights issue.

"Where is it in the constitution that we gave away our bodies to the government," Fieger said.

Fieger said he was surprised at the opposition he has faced on the issue, saying he couldn't believe "religious radicals could be against ... mentally competent adults making the decision to die.

"Little did I know that the whole organized world would be against me," Fieger said.

Engler spokesperson John Truscott said the governor's opposition to assisted suicide has not been a major issue during campaigning so far.

He said most people have already made up their minds on assisted suicide, and they will have their voices heard on election day.

"We do not want to be a haven for people who want to come and die," Truscott said.

Candidates for other state offices are split on the proposal. Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Salem Twp.) supports the initiative, although she says she still has some concerns about its wording.

"We know that if we are seriously concerned, we can amend the proposal with a two-thirds vote," Smith said. "With the qualifiers in the proposal, we have covered most of the potential problems."

Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) is also in support of the Merion's Friends language, Republican candidate Julie Knight prefers the law already on the books. She said legalizing assisted suicide would open up a lot of problems for physicians and patients.

"If a person wants to commit suicide, they certainly don't need a physician," Knight said. "Their job is to prolong life."

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