The Governor of Wisconsin has vetoed AB 207, that would have allowed medical workers (nurses, techs as well as physicians) to exercise their right to free expression of religion if asked to administer a lethal dose of medication or pull a feeding tube with the intent to kill a patient. The governor is quoted by the Associate Press’ Todd Richmond:
"Because it puts a doctor's political views ahead of the best
interests of patients, this legislation ought to be called
the 'unconscionable clause,"' Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, said in a
statement.
Someone needs to send the Governor a copy of that great Greek political Statement, called the Hippocratic Oath. And let him know that Hippocrates was neither Republican nor Democratic. But the Greek physician's First Principle, "First, do no harm," and his oath to give no deadly medicine even when asked have stood 2500 years. On the other hand, when societies cull and kill - and when they force one citizen to kill another - those societies become sick, fail and die.
Governor Doyle is the one who is allowing his own politics to over ride the interests of Wisconsins who voted for the Legislators who drafted and voted in favor of the law. And, it's not really about end of life care for him - it's all about abortion according to this article that hides the protection from assisting in euthanasia in the last two paragraphs:
Armacost said the bill was intended to allow health care providers to opt out of participating in procedures related to abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, the destruction of embryos in stem cell research and in vitro fertilization, and fetal tissue research.
She added that the bill would not have allowed doctors to withhold information from patients, but would have allowed them not to recommend or counsel to undergo any of the procedures.
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