Gutting the Hypocratic Oath

The latest episode of "Judges gone wild:"

Three friend-of-the-court briefs ask the Montana Supreme Court to reverse a lower-court ruling that Montanans have a constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide.

The state of Montana is appealing the ruling and many other amicus briefs on both sides of the issue are expected before the state Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the case later this year.

The Dec. 5, 2008 ruling by Helena District Judge Dorothy McCarter said that mentally sound, terminally ill Montanans have a constitutional right to choose to end their lives using medication prescribed by doctors.

McCarter refused to issue a stay pending appeal, so the order is in effect unless the state Supreme Court issues a stay or ultimately overturns it. However, terminally ill patients say they're having trouble finding physicians willing to prescribe drugs that would hasten their deaths.

Of course, this means the next ruling will be that doctors may not refuse to issue such prescriptions, however much it may violate their conscience.

Years ago, Blue Oyster Cult sang "Don't fear the Reaper." Our society's penchant for abortion on demand, assisted suicide and endless foreign military adventurism would seem to indicate we've gone from fearing Death to embracing it.