The following statement may be attributed to Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL): Today's U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear an appeal by Final Exit Network, an assisted suicide advocacy group, lets stand its conviction of violating Minnesota's law against assisted suicide. The Court has left in place our law that prohibits assisting the suicide of another person. Final Exit Network purposely came into our state in 2007, broke our law, and assisted in the suicide of a vulnerable person who needed care, not suicide. Our law protecting Minnesotans from suicide predators like Final Exit Network and other assisted suicide advocates has been in place since 1992 and has served all of us well. Legislation recently proposed at the Minnesota Legislature would endanger us all with legalized assisted suicide. It can lead to:
Abuse: Abuse of people with disabilities, and elder abuse. An heir or abusive caregiver may steer someone towards assisted suicide, witness the request, pick up the lethal dose, and even give the drug.
Mistakes: Diagnoses of terminal illness are too often wrong, leading people to give up on treatment and lose good years of their lives.
Carelessness: People with a history of depression and suicide attempts have received the lethal drugs.
Contagion: Assisted suicide is a contagion and can increase suicide rates for all populations.
PTSD: Stress disorder rates increase for family and friends who participate in a suicide.
The conviction of Final Exit Network will help to protect those who could become victims of assisted suicide in Minnesota.