End-of-life choice offers hope

Chris Carlson’s guest column (March 8) about our new assisted suicide law blew a lot of smoke, but no fire. He obviously feels the copied Oregon law is flawed. He insinuates possibilities of abuse, yet he gives us no examples of that having happened.

During that campaign in Oregon, many of the same arguments were made, including abuse and a big rush to use it. In fact, given the populations affected, very few people have actually used the Oregon law. Several, who made the choice known, changed their minds.

Carlson mentioned that God should be the only decider of when death should occur. Is he certain the people who have used this method have not prayed about the matter? Is he certain God said no?

God is about lessons for humanity, right? What lesson am I to learn, having watched my lovely sister-in-law deteriorate with ever more painful multiple sclerosis? My father unable to swallow or breathe with throat cancer?

I pray that Carlson and I pass from our lives as quickly and pain-free as we can. I, too, have physical ailments that are going to get much worse. I will embrace this new law, as part of hope.

Walter Lane

Spokane