SEIGEL SAID UNDER the
quality of life ethic, doctors al­
lowed patients to die who could
not possibly consent, such as in­
fants and children, and that
Kevorkian himself refused to
limit assisted suicide to those
�""'---'ere term' 11 ill [doom
. ],
igs __ ....... ;_sisted su ... ·;r: .........
t m . Is --- ..... � W1t out safeguar could be
those with handicaps as "scape- used to cover up medical abuse,"
goats fot: the failure of our health Seigel stated.
care system to care for all the He added that under
people", trying to convince the Kevorkian's system, it would be
public to think "health care up to doctors to decide what evi­
problems could be solved if infe- dence could be used to deter­
rior quality people would only mine whether a patient wished
die quicker, getting us to ignore to die and after the patient was
alternative solutions that might dead, there would be no one to
hamper the self-interest of their challenge them.
special interest group. " Kevorkian was quoted in The
Seigel cited remarks made in Metro Times as saying that "or­
the 90s by Dr. Susan Adelman, ganized medicine" figures
then director of the Michigan should say, "we will do it. [as­
Medical Society, an affiliate of sisted suicide], we don't need·
the AMA, suggesting banning any laws to tell us how to do
assisted suicide would raise this ... "
medical rates and an editorial in Kevorkian told doctors, "sit
W yne County Pro
John O'Hair, chairing
ber 8 Detroit b ring of 8
Commi ion igned to tudy
uicid, topped p-
r entativ of th Michi n
Democratic Party Handicap r
C UCU8, who linked th AMA
and Apartheid South Africa.
. Chall n . ng the view of
i ted uicide advoc te Jack
Kevor ian that there hould be
no regulation of isted uicide
by the law, but that this hould
be handled by the medical pro­
f ion, Ron Seigel, Co pond­
ing Secretary of the Michigan
Democratic Party' Handicap­
per Caucus, charged prominent
figu in the medical profession
with prejudice and self-interest,
warning, "In some cases the �
'right to die' is being used as a
code word for Setting rid of cer­
tain people who are held to be
inferior quality lives in an
American version of ethnic
cleansing. "
In a written statement
passed to members of the com­
mission, Seigel cited an article
in the American Academy ofPe­
diatrics journal published Octo­
ber, 1983, in whichdoctors from
the university of Oklahoma
Health Services Center called
for replacing the principle of the
sanctity of live with a new ethic
based' on the quality of life.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL
Liberties Union (ACLU) said the
doctors formula for measuring
quality oflife was based not only
handicap, but income and
DR. JACK KEVORKIAN
ence between withholding care
and actively being killed.
O'HAIR, WHO told Sei I to
top ng, mp ized that
b notobj ing .. ,,_ ..........
being id, but only doing
80, beca his time to
up.
Seigel said he w th first
on on hich this tim limit
morced.
He lao exp concern
that of all tb eommi ion mem­
ber pre ent, there were no
Black people and no on with a
handicap.
He empha ized that both
O'Hair and the other members
of the eommi ion were "very po­
lite and personally pectful",
but he suggested they were "un­
able to understand or emotion­
ally l'eCOgnize the realiti of
prejudice" on the basis of race,
income, or handicap," bich
could lead to abuses, "it partici­
pation in killing is legalized un­
der the pretext of as i ted
suicide "
SEIGEL EXPRESSED con­
cern that O'Hair in announcing
his prosecution of Kevorkian,
per80
state ban on isted suicide w
only a temporary one for 1
than two years, to assure that
people would not wrongfully die,
while the issue was being stud­
ied.
He added that if safeguards
were not found "assuring beyond
a reasonable doubt the patient
wants to die", the ban should be
extended.
Those who wish to voice their
views on assisted suicide can
write to the Commission on
Death and Dying, Legislative
Service Bureau, P.O. Box 80086,
Lansing, Michigan 48909.
E perts offer food warning
By PATRICIA COLBERT
SpecIal to the MIchIgan CItizen
DETROIT - U.S. District
Judge James Nowlin block� a
ruling that would have required
store owners to place safe han­
dling labels on packages of un­
cooked meat and poultry.
The U.S. Department of Agri­
culture did not follow proper
public notice and comment pro­
cedures when issuing its ruling,
Nowlin ruled.
The ruling allows the Na­
tional-American Wholesale Gro­
cer's Association and other Food
Industry Associations permis­
sion to temporarily suspend the
labeling requirements.
The requirements would have
affected 20 billion packages.
The labels would have in­
cluded warnings of possible bac­
terial contamination if the
product was under-cooked or
handled improperly.
THE OUT-BREAK of the E.
Coli Bacteria which was later
traced to contaminated meat
prom pted the ruling, however
the (USDA) modified the rule to
reflect ground meat products
only, stating, b hur would
be accep bl for 11 other un­
cooked mea .
After the ruling, Dr. E.C. Hef­
fron divisional director, of the
Michigan D parlment of Agri­
cultur comm nted.
"In h ir rush to get it out, th
(USDA) mi d some leg I
points. Th y did not allow com-
ments to be considered, " Heffron
said.
Out of all the confusion the
States must find a way to enforce
the new ruling," said Heffron.
One major defect was that the
ruling- did not cover all meat
products. Bologna, sausage, pi­
geons, squab, buffalo meat and a
whole range of other meat-by
products were not covered in the
. ruling. The Michigan Depart­
ment of Agriculture (MDA) also
felt that the ruling should have
been uniform and specific.
It is feared, that consumers
wi 11 disregard the "Safe Han­
dling Labels" and according to
Heffron, for some, that could be
detrimental.
Improper preparing of grou nd
beef is the best vehicle for the E.
Coli Bacteria.
"'THERE HAVE BEEN nu­
merous deaths from this, includ­
ing one in Michigan. We
anticipate about 500 cases of E.
Coli food born illnesses within
the next twelve months, Heffron
said. .
It is perceived that if meat is
cooked to well-done, it is I
likely to cause illness. Not true,
according to Heffron
"Many food illnesses are
caused from live organisms in
meat that produce toxin when
cooked. The toxin cannot be neu­
tralized unless the product is
cooked at a temperature range of
400 degrees Fahrenheit, accord­
ing to the Michigan Department
of Agriculture.
The possibility of sudden
death is forever present if food is
not handled or prepared prop­
erly.
As a last precautionary meas­
ure, according to Agriculture
spokespersons, meat left out at
room temperature for more than
four hours should not be pre­
pared in any manner for human
consumption.
lea
to
,
•
SEE YOU IN COURT'
�UST THE FACTS, PL ASE
IN MICHIGAN TH R AR
OR THAN 28.000
RFGIST R 0 ATTO YS
TH AV RAG SALARY FOR
A MICHIGAN TRIAL LAWYER
IS JUST UNO R .0.000
THAN
IN lliE GR ATER LANSI G
YELLOW PAGES. THERE
ARE MORE THAN 30 PAGES
o ATTORNEYS LISTED
the product w old or deliv­
ered, excepting dru or im­
planted devices.
The bill also- tabli h a
liding scale for attorney con­
tingent f in liability actions.
"Right now Michigan is the
I der in economic recovery,"
he said. "This is or continued
attempt to improve the busi­
n climate in Michigan, and
we'll pursue it with vigor."
The i ue of product liabil­
ity could move in the Senate
before year's end, but it won't
be dealt with until school is­
su are out of the way, Wart­
ner said.
In its current form, the bill
creates an absolute defense to
the product liability action if
death or injury occurs:
From alteration or modi­
fication of the product by a per­
son' other than the
manufacturer.
From use of a product af­
ter its expiration date.
• Due to the use of a product
while under the influence of
alcohol or a controlled sub­
stance.
• More than 15 years after
THE BILL L 0 tab-
lishes expert witn qualifica-
tions and prohibits a witn
from testifying b upon a
contingent fee arrangement.
But the trial lawyers k p
singing the same tune.
From exploding Pint to
children' toys to farm equip­
ment," Bailey aid," (lawsuits)
have been the one thing that
the manufacturers even admit
causes them to pay more atten­
tion to consumer safety. And
without that, they are Ie
likely to put the resources into
consumer safety."
The legislation, Bailey said,
"creates immuniti for manu­
facturers and does not allow
consumers to hold them re­
sponsible for manufacturing
products that ultimately
harm, injure or kill innocent
consumers. "
"OUR LITIGOU society
has to be brought under con­
trol," Warlner said. "We don't
need to make people rich at the
expense of economic develop­
ment and growth in the state.
We need to limit these uncon­
scionable lawsuits. You have
the same thing happening
here as with medical malprac­
tice and no fault insurance.
