Bob Dole: “one of the most profound and sensitive issues facing our society today is whether doctors should be allowed to assist in…”

“one of the most profound and sensitive issues facing our society today is whether doctors should be allowed to assist in the suicide of their patients. On this issue, I happen to share the view of the American Medical Association that doctors who are sworn to be life-givers, should not act as life-takers, and that the licensing of doctors to administer death is ``fundamentally inconsistent with the pledge physicians make to devote themselves to healing and to life.'' I recognize that there are those who do not share this point of view. But the process we use to work out such disagreements and come to a social consensus is called democracy. I will vigorously defend the right of every fellow citizen to disagree with me, but I will also defend the constitutional process by which our laws are made. The people, through their elected Representatives, should be the ones to decide whether to permit or to prohibit physician-assisted suicide.”