Assisted Suicide

Re “When Law Overcomes Common Sense,” Column Right, Feb. 13: Apparently James Pinkerton wonders why we don’t keep the courts out of the euthanasia debate and just continue to let doctors quietly kill their patients, even though this is illegal. Is he out of his mind?

Whenever something is illegal, yet simultaneously sanctioned and practiced by society, individuals face indiscriminate prosecution. This is already happening and it’s a problem. Secondly, we need legal guidelines to prevent abuse and oversee the largely humane and necessary practice, if only to prevent less benign Dr. Kevorkians from popping up and offering their services to our old folks.

There’s no hiding from these decisions. Society has to face them squarely and start making them. If our legislators are too cowardly to do it, our courts will.

J.J. HORSMAN

Laguna Beach