Disability Rights leaders reach out to Elizabeth Warren regarding 'No On 2'

BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- State and national disability rights/social justice advocates are asking Massachusetts United States Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren to meet about Ballot Question 2 and discuss their reasons for strongly opposing this measure to legalize assisted suicide. The disability rights leaders include: John Kelly - Executive Director of Second Thoughts and former Chair of the Boston Disability Advisory Commission, Karen Shneiderman - Senior Advocacy Specialist for Boston Center for Independent Living Inc, Marilyn Golden - Senior Policy Analyst for the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Michael Muehe - Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities and Diane Coleman - President of Not Dead Yet.  All are part of the diverse coalition urging Massachusetts voters to say 'No' to Ballot Question 2.

"Ballot question 2 contains a number of problematic issues that raise red flags with progressive voters. These are arguments and perspectives Ms. Warren may not have heard yet, and are asking for the opportunity to meet and brief her and her team," said John Kelly, Executive Director of Second Thoughts and former Chair of the Advisory Board to the Boston Disability Commission.

"We already have seen serious cost cutting pressures. We constantly hear about the costs of caring for people in the last year of their lives. We can point to examples in Oregon and Washington, where assisted suicide is legal of these implicit and explicit cost pressures. Ballot question 2 legalizes a $100 lethal prescription and that sends a terrible message to people living with serious illness or disability.

"As a lifelong Democrat, I have a deep respect for Ms. Warren. I truly hope we are able to discuss this issue that is so critically important to the Massachusetts disability community."

Yesterday to WTKK-FM, Elizabeth Warren made a comment that she was leaning toward supporting assisted suicide legalization. 

Disability rights organizations that have come out in opposition to Ballot Question 2 include:
American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT),Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Boston Center for Independent Living, Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Disability Policy Consortium, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Justice For All (JFA), MetroWest Center for Independent Living, National Council on Disability (NCD), National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), National Spinal Cord Injury Association, Not Dead Yet (NDY), TASH, The World Association of Persons with Disabilities (WAPD), The World Institute on Disability (WID).

No On Question 2 is a diverse coalition of disability rights organizations, doctors, nurses, community leaders, faith based groups and patient rights advocates. 

www.NoOnQuestion2.org 
www.Twitter.com/NoOnQuestion2MA 
www.Facebook.com/NoOnBallotQuestion2

Paid for by Massachusetts Against Doctor Prescribed Suicide - No On 2