Not Dead Yet

7521 Madison St * Forest Park, IL 60130 * Voice/TTY: 708-209-1500 * Fax: 708-209-1735 * TTY: 708-209-1826

NOT DEAD YET

Statement to Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca February 13, 1997

Members of Not Dead Yet who are present here today represent thousands of persons with disabilities across the country who are opposed to assisted suicide. We are here at the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office to express our outrage at an injustice which is occurring in Oakland County.

The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that "assisted suicide" is illegal under common law in Michigan. Yet David Gorcyca, the Oakland County Prosecutor has dropped charges against Jack Kevorkian, who has admitted to "assisting" in causing more than forty-five (45) deaths in Michigan. The vast majority of these deaths were of people with disabilities not considered to have a terminal illness. Further, Gorcyca refuses to bring charges related to these latest two deaths and refuses to conduct a thorough investigation. This is unacceptable to the members of Not Dead Yet and should be unacceptable to the general population. If any group of citizens were systematically being killed, other than those of us with disabilities, there would be a public outcry heard across the state. Gorcyca's complicity in these illegal activities does nothing but reinforce the stereotypes and negative images of persons with disabilities--THAT IT IS BETTER TO BE DEAD THAN DISABLED!!!

We demand County Prosecutor David Gorcyca to fight these crimes with the same commitment and effort that any other series of wrongful deaths would receive. Not Dead Yet recognizes the incredibly difficult decisions and choices (or lack of choices) facing people in the end stage of life. Not Dead Yet urges the Michigan State Legislature to pass legislation which:

1) provides Personal Assistance to persons with disabilities, including those with terminal illness which will permit individuals to stay at home with their loved ones, allowing a loving, peaceful end of life;

2) mandates better pain relief management, including measures which will increase the ability of doctors to prescribe pain medication in the amounts needed to relieve most intolerable pain;

3) provides funding to Hospice programs which also assist persons to truly die with dignity, around those who love them, and whom they love. This measure will ease the physical and emotional burden which families and loved ones face while trying to care for a dying family member.

Not Dead Yet believes these are the issues which need to be addressed by the Legislature, not allowing so-called "assisted suicide" to go on unchecked. Therefore, Not Dead Yet endorses the efforts of the Michigan State Legislature to pass a ban on assisted suicide. We believe this is necessary until the bias and discrimination against the lives of persons with disabilities is eliminated. Not Dead Yet believes people who have significant disabilities, and pain are not necessarily seeking a way out of life, rather a way out of the life they are forced to live. These issues must be addressed.