Originally posted on Braided Trails.
John Kelly, a warrior in defense of the dignity of human life, died on November 14. He was an advocate for disability rights, and flowing naturally from that, he was against assisted suicide. He came to Concord more than a decade ago to say so to a legislative committee. I was there for the same reason, and I left much less of an impression than he did.
He started by chewing out the legislators for the ill-kept winter sidewalks that had slowed him down as he made his way in his wheelchair towards the State House. Jaws dropped. It was a splendid fleeting moment.
He then said what he came to say, and left written testimony for good measure, on behalf of Not Dead Yet and Second Thoughts Massachusetts.
We were the progressive voice in Massachusetts that defeated the assisted suicide ballot question. Our opposition is based in universal principles of social justice that apply to everyone, whether disabled or not….We chose our name Second Thoughts because we find that many people, once they delve below the surface appeal of assisted suicide, have “second thoughts” and oppose it.
…The day [New Hampshire’s proposed] bill goes into effect, thousands of people will be instantly made eligible. For example, my quadriplegia constitutes “an incurable and irreversible condition.” It has “no known treatment,” and likely “will result in premature death.” …Legalizing assisted suicide sends the wrong message to anyone who depends on caregivers, the message that feeling like a burden is not only an acceptable reason for suicide, but a justification for our health care system to provide the lethal means to end your life. We are not better off dead.
[John Kelly, testimony to New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee, 2/5/14, as I recorded in my own notes.]
That bill failed back in 2014, not least because of John’s testimony.
I didn’t know him personally beyond a quick introduction the day he came to Concord. I attended hearings in Boston and Hartford when other states considered assisted suicide bills, and John was at each one.
He understood the value of coalitions and teamwork. He wasn’t shy about calling for united action. My report on a Massachusetts assisted suicide bill in 2017 included a link to the Facebook post John had made before the hearing.
We win when we show up. All devalued communities are under threat: disabled people, people of color, old people, ill people, LGBTQ people, poor people, autistic people, people experiencing depression, abused people, and more. Even wealthy people are endangered because family might care more about inheriting an estate than caring for a seriously ill person. And everyone is at risk for misdiagnosis.
We need you to come testify for 3 minutes, or come and support people who are testifying . Everyone who comes will be making a difference!…This is life-or-death, people. Solidarity.
[John Kelly Facebook post, quoted at Leaven for the Loaf, 9/5/17.]
You heard the man: show up to hearings. Bring allies. Fill the seats, encourage one another, testify.
There are all kinds of day-to-day ways to counter the pernicious notion that it’s better to be dead than disabled. Sometimes, though, going to the State House is the only way to get the message across. A packed hearing room is its own kind of testimony.
John Kelly knew that. He wouldn’t want me to forget it.
Ellen Kolb 