Letter From Ellen, who has struggled with suicidal issues for many years, to California senators
Dear Senator,
Please vote against SB 128 (assisted suicide). My concern is that if assisted suicide is approved in California, it will negatively affect the health and lives of persons living with mental illness, like it has in Oregon.
I’ve lived with my mental illness for 25 years. During this time I’ve dealt with my own suicidality, off and on throughout the years. I almost committed suicide before.
If assisted suicide became law, society would be sending a message that suicide is all right. It would give a green light that it’s OK to commit suicide. It could be the tipping point. So in opposing this bill, the life I could save is my own.
My life has touched so many others’ lives since I survived being suicidal. I’ve learned my life matters to others and to myself despite having a mental illness. But with bipolar and anxiety disorders, there are no guarantees for stability. I could once again be facing my own suicide battle.
Did you know that, since Oregon’s legalizing of assisted suicide in 1997, regular (non-assisted) suicides in that state have increased significantly, at a rate more than 40% higher than the national average? (Oregon Public Health Division, Suicides in Oregon: Trends and Risk Factors-2012 Report, November 2012.)
Please vote no on this bill!
Ellen of Lincoln, California