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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1994)
T he P ortland O bserver • O ctober 19, 1994 P age A9 political viewpoint by t D ouglas H ammkkstrom This November, Oregon vot ers will be asked to cast their vote on Ballot Measure 16, the “Oregon Death with Dignity A ct”. If passed, it would make ours the first govern ment in the world to legalize physi cian-assisted suicide. This legisla tion has been consistently defeated in state legislatures across the coun try and has likewise been defeated by voters in the state of California and Washington as ballot initiatives. In those two states these measure enjoyed large, early leads in the polls, only to go down to defeat once voters had been made aware of how great the risks of these acts are in comparison to their benefits. There are several obvious ad vantages to the concept of assisting those in the terminal stages of dis ease to kill themselves. These in clude decreased length of physical suffering, decreased demand, on family finances and allowing re sources to be used for those who are expected to have a longer lifespan. These are not trivial arguments. However, the arguments against al lowing doctors to assist people in killing them selves far outweigh these benefits. First, is the huge gap between the deadly certainty of suicide and the great uncertainty of medical di agnosis. That is, doctors make mis takes and do so frequently Even a competent and compassionate phy sician can easily err when trying to predict life expectancy. This is to say nothing of one who is sloppy or would be just as happy to get an old, cantankerous patient out of their hair. Physicians will also make mis takes in assisting suicide. The pro fession of medicine does not de serve and is not to be trusted with such power to do harm. Second, is that elderly people and those in late stages of disease are very psychologically vulnerable and easily exploited to achieve other W H O W IL L BE THE NEXT MISS B LA C K OREGON, USA? p eo p le’s end. W ith passage of Proposition you can expect to see many elders manipulated into de siring suicide so that relatives can get into their bank accounts faster. Third, is the fact that euthana sia is not necessary. The desire for suicide is almost always linked to depression, lone I i ness or i nadeq uate pain control. It is strange to see euthanasia becoming such as issue just as recent advances have given almost certain relief from pain and depression. At the same time legal progress lias produced advance di rectives and living wills that can empower everyone to have control over their health care, thus prevent ing the possibility of unwanted, ag gressive medical therapy. Fourth, is the damage that will be caused to the patient-physician relationship. Since the tim e of Hippocrates it has been understood that the physician is the patient’s advocate. If doctors become killers again who will know if the doctor comes to heal or to kill. Fifth, is the great concern of where crossing the ethical line of assisting suicide will lead us. It is no secret that the proponents of this type of initiative do not want to stop here. Their ultimate desire is for physician-administered lethal injec tion not only for those who desire to die, but also for those who deserve to die (like handicapped children, the mentally ill and retarded and other vulnerable people who use up tax resources rather than pay them). The illusion of personal choice that this initiative gives is not worth the risks that have been demon strated twice this century, in mod ern Holland and Germany in the 1940’s, when killing is officially condoned by the government. This initiative deserves to go to the same place it was sent by California and W ashington voters... defeat. Knight, Tanya Thomas, Natasha Ross, Donita Lincoln. WITNESS THE CROWNING OF y i/)i6 6 Otfcccb O r e g o n Saturday, November 19th • 1021 NE Grand, Top of the Holiday Inn - Grand Ballroom 7:00 p.m. Doors Open • 7:30 p.m. Showtime Special Appearance by : Sean Strong & NW African American Ballet Tickets On Sale Now! T icketm a ster O utlets - cash - check - charge by phone $16.00 Donation G.i.jae* TJCJCL Douglas Hammerstrom, MD Enterprise, Oregon Lull R an ge o f O regon w ¡ lie s 1 ! I and over ’ À > ’-\T a W-J W' 2412JN. Mississippi 7pm till l i p Entertainment 11 g T h e K ir k G r e e n B a n d Lundraiser for the \ •// M is s B la c k ( ) ccg o n U S A S c h o la r s h ip P a g e a n t I ill iliitn.il Inlilii.iH u ih | lM |: I ' \s o| Itl.iiL Wmimi, I lit-1 nt lliuwl J M m ii I • 1 milli, i ni I I. i i i i H H im i % » I N« w a |». i , h i TICklISAVÀllAhLI-NOW!! MRS. ( S W I G S /07 \ I. I k ninni . ] i Sh.UU Minimum I hmalion W . , , . , 1 . . ,1.,,. d.I.I Uhl I Miss Plath 1 hi gun 1 S.\ Pagcaiit C.Oll\ilig Soon S 1 h.00 , huialion) \t»v< nittihcr 19/ 1994 Inp o| iin I loini.tg Inn - 1021 NL Grand 7:30pn» luLellii.is,n 97 , I. >0 TICkKfSONSALLNOVV Catlin Rummage Sale Marks 50th Year This year’s Catlin Gabel Rummage Sale will be as good as gold. The school's 50th annual rummage sale opens at the Mult nomah County Expo Center N o vember 3 and continues through November 6. H undreds o f v o lu n teers, in clu d in g all 6 70 stu d e n ts o f the sc h o o l, are busy c o lle c tin g , so rtin g , tra n sp o rtin g , and p ric ing g oods for this tra d itio n a l event. A sp e c ia l O p e n in g Day S ale-w ith all item s m arked up 25 % -tak es place on T h u rsd ay , N ov. 3, 5pm -9pm . C o n tin u in g d ates and tim es arc: F rid ay , » N ov. 4, 10 am -9pm ; S a tu rd a y , N ov. 5, 10am -6pm ; S unday, N ov 6, 10-am -3pm . By S unday, the fam o u s “bag sa le s” becom e an in c re d ib le b arg ain -- e sp e c ia lly for c lo th e s and books. M arilyn C ooper, the s c h o o l's rum m age C h air says, “ I t ’s like p u ttin g on a c irc u s !” To give you som e id ea o f the lo g istic s, the loot fills som e 25 se m i-tru c k s an d is u n lo a d e d in to 6 0 ,0 0 0 squ are feet o f space. "Im ag in e an av erag e o f o v er 8,000 sho p p ers ru m m a g in g th ro u g h a n tiq u e s , c o lle c tib le s , b o o k s, h a rd w a re , furn itu re, standard rum m age fare, cars and tre a su re s. O n c e 'a horse Ticket Centers at G.l. JOE’S, BLAZERS ON BROADWAY, MEMORIAL COLISEUM, PIONEER PLACE, PORTLAND OREGON VISITORS ASSOCIATION, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, CIVIC STADIUM, PORTLAND CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS U of 0 AUTZEN STADIUM, and OSU GILL COLISEUM, or CHARGE-BY-PHONE (503) 224-4400 TICKETS SUBJECT TO AGENCY CONVENIENCE CHARGE are coredial I y invited to a W in e lasti •MJ >.'■ ..... S c h o la r llu ,p p a g e a n t w as bro u g h t in for sale, a n o th e r tim e it w as a beer tru c k !” All p ro c e e d s go to fin a n cial aid for stu d e n ts w ho m ight not o th e rw ise be able to attend the school. A bout 23% o f all stu d e n ts w ho m ight not o th e r w ise be a b le to a tte n d the school. A bout 23% o f all stu den ts rec e iv e fin a n c ia l aid. The C a tlin Q abel S chool is an in d e p e n d e n t, co -ed u ca- tional day sch o o l for stu d e n ts from p re -sc h o o l th ro u g h 12th grade. Its facu lty and sta ff are d e d ic a te d to in d iv id u a lity , a c a d em ics. and life -lo n g le a rn ing. Child Immunization Campaign Launched A ccording to the A m erican Academy of Pediatrics and the Na tional Association o f County Health Officials, as many as 40 percent of children under the age of four go unprotected against life-threatening, yet preventable childhood diseases, because they are not properly immu nized. To help improve vaccine rates, participating M cD onald's Restau rants are joining forces with local health officials to launch an immuni zation edu catio n c am p aig n for O ctober’s Child Health Month. "Immunize for Healthy Lives” aims to break down barriers to child hood vaccinations by using educa tion materials and local community activities to talk to parents about the importance of preventative health care for children through timely im munizations. "M cD onald’s is pleased to sup port this immunization program be cause it reaches families in our com munity with an important health mes sage.” said W C. Gilbert, a Portland area M cDonald’s owner and opera tor. "By helping parents get their children vaccinated on time and en- Dr. Robert A. Mendelson (left), Oregon representative for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Laurie Monnes-Anderson, of the National Association of County Health Officials and W C. Gilbert of Portland and a McDonald's owner/operator, kick off a campaign to immunize children for healthy lives. couraging regular doctor visits, the program has the potential to save lives and helpchildrenliveahealthier childhood.” T hroughout O cto b er, p a rtic i- p atin g M c D o n a ld ’s re sta u ra n ts w ill carry a se rie s o f ed u c a tio n a l m a te ria ls on im m u n iz a tio n s for p a r e n ts f e a tu r in g th e r e c o m m ended v accin e sch ed u le. Fair Set For Expo Center Parents will find great educa tional.opportunities at The Family Fair, October 21-23 at the Portland Expo Center. S tate Farm In su ra n c e w ill feature a b icy cle safety train in g course fo rc h ild re n . C h ildren will have the fun o f rid in g bicy cles w hile learning the im p o rtan ce o f w earing a helm et and obeying tra ffic and safety rules. O M SI has an in te ra c tiv e d is play o f hands-on science a c tiv i ties. paren ts and c h ild re n alik e can enjoy this area. M any e x h ib ito rs p rovide par ents with educational services, such as: HOME QUEST features educa tional curriculum on CD -RO M ; F U T U R E K ID S COM PUTER LEARNING CENTER provides ser vices in teaching computer mastery to kids from 3-16 years of age; and an EASY MATHexhibit issclfcxpl^na- tory. TH E G R E A T A M E R IC A N PETTING ZOO will invite children to see and touch domestic and exotic animals. Great fun for parents as well. The Fair features parent support groups, such as, PARENTS SUP PORTING PARENTS. This is a support group for parents, friends & family of premature and/or critically ill babies and those with unresolved issues who have older children. " ALLSTATE INSURANCE will be finger printing children for their parentsto keep on file T hisisag reat service provided at no cost to parents at the Fair. In fact.all o f the above is “free” with the cost o f admission to THE FAMILY FAIR THE FAMILY FAIR also has many other exciting activities for the entire family including: » A G IA N T IN D O O R C A R N IV A L w ith rid e s for little and big kids. E ach paid a d m issio n on a child gets one free carn iv al ride. D iscount ride tic k e t c o u p o n s are a v a ila b le at S A T U R N O F B E A V E R T O N . C o u p o n s are good fo r all the rid e s you can ride fo r $10.00. “S C H E M E R " o f the te le v i sion pro g ram "S H IN IN G T IM E S T A T IO N " w ill be at the F a ir on S unday. O c to b e r 23 to m eet c h il dren and sign a u to g ra p h s. PONY R ID E S are a v a ila b le at $ 2 ,0 0 per rid e. P ic tu re s o f y o u r c h ild on a pony are a v a ila b le at an a d d itio n a l c h a rg e . T he K -103 P u m p k in d e c o ra tin g contest w ill be held O c to ber 22. 1 0 :0 0 a m -6 :0 0 p m . K U PL w ill be g iv in g aw ay a trip for a fa m ily o f fo u r to the O reg o n C o a st w ith lo d g in g t
