I know many of you were involved in the 2012 statewide ballot referendum on assisted suicide, and over 1.5 million of you and your neighbors voted successfully to protect the sanctity of life. Thanks to a broad coalition of churches and faith leaders, as well as members of the medical profession and disability community, we narrowly averted becoming the 4th state to legalize suicide. Next year would have been the first opportunity by law for pro-suicide activists to put the question back on the ballot, but I’m happy to report that they decided not to attempt it in 2018. However, they have submitted legislation on Beacon Hill which would have the same effect.

On Tuesday September 26th, there will be a hearing just on this legislation before the Joint Committee on Public Health. Once again, MFI and many other groups committed to preventing the legalization of suicide will be there. Please consider joining us. If you work in the medical profession or have a personal story of caring for a loved one in their final days, it would be very helpful for you to testify in person. Even if you’re not comfortable speaking, you can help by simply being in the hearing room to pray and present as large a body of opposition to suicide as possible.

To help educate people on this issue, I am pleased to announce that MFI is offering free access from now through the hearing to the Assisted Suicide chapter of our Engage curriculum AND the accompanying video.

I also encourage you to read this week’s excellent article on “The Contagion of Euthanasia and the Corruption of Compassion,” in the Public Discourse:

“When suffering renders life burdensome to self or others, it can and may be disposed of; this is, for such secularists, the ‘compassionate’ thing to do. But—as Canadians and others have by now found, again and again—the contagion of assisted suicide, once the command ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is set aside, quickly spreads elsewhere.”

Here are two things you can do to help:

1. Take 30 seconds to vote in this online poll from WWLP, Channel 22 in Springfield. The accuracy of online polls is suspect at best, but let’s not give the pro-suicide activists any advantage with a “public opinion is in our favor” talking point.
2. Consider coming to the hearing on the 26th. If you’re willing to testify, we are happy to answer any questions you have about the bills or the process. The hearing will be in Rooms a-1 and a-2, on the 1st floor of the Statehouse from 11:00am – 5:00pm. You can read the text of the bills here or our one page legislative brief here.  (If you are interested in coming to the State House, please RSVP directly to Michael King at michael@mafamily.org.)

For our families,