It’s hard to believe that as a government major in college and an employee at a school of government for 33 years, I had never lobbied an official.  Until Wednesday.

Twenty months ago, my husband Peter who was suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease decided that he wanted to control his end-of-life and voluntarily stopped eating and drinking.  As I wrote in The Boston Globe,  (bit.ly/3qJbX3g), eight unbearably horrible days of suffering followed for him and his loved ones.

Now there is a bill in committee in the Massachusetts Legislature, to permit (under very explicit conditions) mentally competent individuals with less than six months to live to receive medical aid in dying.  The bill has the support of a majority of Massachusetts citizens, but it has never made it out of committee for a vote. 

So, I joined a “Day of Lobbying,” including individual one-on-one meetings with my State senator and my State representative.  There were maybe 200 of us lobbyists, all there because of our belief that people who are expected to die within six months should be permitted to end their suffering.

Also present were opponents to this bill, primarily disabled individuals who fear others may encourage them to end their lives if this bill passes, even if they do not wish to do so. There are many safeguards to prevent that inappropriate use of this law, but all voices must be heard.

I had forgotten how elegant the Massachusetts State House is.  It's worth a visit even if you are not a lobbyist like me.