NAN A. S. HAYWORTH: “Not just allowing the American people to do so because realistically the power resides with the American people. Our…”

“Not just allowing the American people to do so because realistically the power resides with the American people. Our system of government, our constitutional republic, provides that the power that many of us believe comes from a higher authority is bestowed on the people. The people in turn bestow it on the government. So it is not the government's domain to, quote unquote, allow the people this opportunity. Instead it is their fundamental right to pursue treatments they believe can help them, and it is their fundamental right, and I dare say as we stand poised at the dawn of the next century, we should restore the basic element of trust that we who are honored to serve in government through the consent of the governed trust the people to make decisions. And again as I have said many times, I believe what crystallizes the debate when we get past the playground talks, when we get past the scare tactics, when we get past the deliberate disinformation, what characterizes this debate on almost every question of import is this: Do you trust the American people, or are you so cynical or disdainful of the American people that you place your trust in a centralized bureaucracy in Washington? I trust the American people, and I believe the people trust themselves, and we work to empower the people.”