Newton's Second Law

Newton's Second Law. That’s what I thought about when I saw the recent newsletter from Patient Choices at End of Life – Vermont, the formula for potential energy.

The Death with Dignity movement, while over 20 years old, has not figured out the right formula to achieve policy change through the legislative arena. We’ve done it in the judicial system; we’ve done it through the electorate, but we’ve come up short in the legislature.

Hawaii in 2002 represented a near success, with Death with Dignity legislation sailing through the House, but failing in the Senate by two votes. California in 2007 was a legislative debacle. Vermont in 2007 was a valiant first effort conducted through grassroots organizing. Vermont in 2009 was indicative of the power of church-based opposition, which orchestrated a last minute barrage upon legislators from parishioners.

Votes, money, grassroots organizing, lobbyists, the power of the opposition, legislative leadership, a supportive electorate—these are all critical variables in the formula for potential energy in Vermont. Given the years of hard work that Patient Choices at End of Life - Vermont has dedicated to achieving policy change, a majority of these variables are in place. The 2009 Death with Dignity companion bills (H.455 and S.144) sported 56 and 12 co-sponsors, respectively, with many of the co-sponsors having leadership roles in the Vermont House or Senate.

The people of Vermont strongly support Death with Dignity. In a 2007 Zogby International poll conducted with a representative sample of 541 Vermonters, four out of five respondents (82%) agreed that patients who are given fewer than six months to live should have the option to seek medication to end their suffering. Similar to polling conducted so long ago in Oregon, support came from all corners of the state, regardless of age, gender, income, education, religion or party affiliation.

One of the most critical variables of the legislative formula is support from a sitting governor. The Hawaii effort was ushered by Governor Ben Cayetano, and his gubernatorial leadership was one of the main factors that made the Hawaii effort so successful. In Vermont, however, the governor was opposed to Death with Dignity legislation in 2007 and 2009. This could change in November, as the current governor is not running for re-election.

The most recent newsletter from Patient Choices at End of Life - Vermont contains a statement from each of the Democratic candidates in the primary, and they are all supportive of Death with Dignity!

The Vermont election calendar differs from electoral calendars in other states: the primary is in August — late in the season, and the general election is in November. Governors in that state serve for only two years. The race is being identified as a “toss up” with none of the candidates carrying a decisive lead.

This is the 2010 election to watch in the Death with Dignity movement. The potential energy is invigorating and the outcome could provide the final missing variable needed for success in the Vermont legislature. Stay tuned!

ps. I'm a social worker, not a physicist. If I made a mistake on the equation, please excuse my blunder.