Letter to the Editor - June 12

Back to core Republican values

Dear Editor,

Senator Fielder’s attempt at proving herself thoughtful with the baseless suggestion that Compassion & Choices, which advocates for end-of-life choices, is paid for by insurance companies is utterly paranoid.

She asked where the money comes from. I’ll tell you. The money spent on the public education campaign to let Montanans know about the horrific Physician Imprisonment Act, which tried to take away our existing right to a peaceful death by using aid in dying – made legal by the Montana Supreme Court – came from regular folk like me. I am a long-time door to Compassion & Choices. I have been a Montana Republican for longer than Senator Fielder has been alive. Keeping big government out of our hospital beds and conversations with our doctors is the type of value I am proud the Montana Republic Party has a tradition of supporting. Perhaps her judgment has been clouded by Obamacare, which I could forgive, if there weren’t so much at stake. I hope she will come to her senses and back to core Republican values soon.

P.S. I served in the Marines with Bob Baxter. He was a long time buddy of mine. This was in 1951, so I know first hand of his suffering. Bob was living in Billings and died just before the Supreme Court ruled.

John Cochran,

St. Regis