Likable legislator ready for battle [Patty Berg's Euthanasia Bill]

Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/27/6 | Clea Benson

[SmithL]

A Republican lawmaker once described Democratic Assemblywoman Patty Berg as "the nicest person in the Legislature, bar none" - just before he voted against one of her bills.

Berg, 63, approaches her colleagues with a warm demeanor honed by years spent working as a social worker and as a leader of community organizations.

But that doesn't mean the Eureka lawmaker shrinks from a battle. And she is on the verge of facing a big one this year: With the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way in January for states to make their own laws on the issue of assisted suicide, Berg is prepared to push a bill that would make California the first state after Oregon to allow doctors to prescribe lethal medications for the terminally ill.

Berg, who founded Planned Parenthood in her area many years ago, sees the issue as one of individual choice.

[balch3]

This is what the "leave it to the states" attitude on Euthanasia and abortion leads to.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Planned Parenthood. Euthanasia. Yeah, she sounds like a real peach.

[L98Fiero]

"Planned Parenthood. Euthanasia. Yeah, she sounds like a real peach."

Death fetish.

[proxy_user]

This is what the Constitution calls for, doesn't it? Let the people of each state make the laws as they see fit.

The Constitution doesn't even say that there have to be any criminal laws, or that marriage or corporations or contracts have to be allowed.

[ElkGroveDan]

"the nicest person in the Legislature, bar none"

Nice people don't kill grannies.

[My2Cents]

Death fetish.

No kidding. You want to read something truly chilling?...I just finished "One Door Away from Heaven" by Dean Koontz, where the villian is a Ph.D. bioethicist from Princeton who advocates snuffing the disabled, and anyone else who can not measure up to utilitarian ethicists' level of "quality of life." The villian, "Preston Maddoc," is probably the vilest and creepiest character I've ever read in literature, and what makes his character so chilling is that there are people out there in our society who seriously believe the same thing Maddoc believes in this Koontz novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone, to discover that there are true monsters alive in the world today.

[L98Fiero]

I've read a number of Koontz's books but not that one. Thanks for the tip. "The Bad Place" was particularly creepy.

[maryz]

there are people out there in our society who seriously believe the same thing

Like Peter Singer at Princeton? (Check his FAQ.)

[My2Cents]

And the Declaration states that it is the role of government to protect God-given rights to life, libery, and the pursuit of happiness. A government which fails to protect those "inalienable rights" abdicate its responsibility, and has lost its legitimacy.

[My2Cents]

Yeah. Koontz mentions Peter Singer by name in the book, so the "Maddoc" character isn't an indirect reference, but Koontz makes clear that monsters like Singer are who he has in mind.

[My2Cents]

Read the FAQs. "Creepy" doesn't begin to describe his views.

[My2Cents]

And this on the one-year anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death (March 31st).

I did a Google search of "Terri Schiavo" because it was hard for me to believe her state-ordered death was just a year ago, and I came across this -- Terri Schiavo's Blog. If anyone wants a sickening look into the depravity that exists in our society, peruse that blog site, particularly the comments to the asinine posts.

[He Rides A White Horse]

where the villian is a Ph.D. bioethicist from Princeton who advocates snuffing the disabled, and anyone else who can not measure up to utilitarian ethicists' level of "quality of life." The villian, "Preston Maddoc," is probably the vilest and creepiest character I've ever read in literature

Sounds like Peter Singer.

[Tribune7]

Leave it to the states would be a big improvement as far as abortion goes.

[madprof98]

A lifelong practicing Roman Catholic, Berg recalled a recent meeting with her bishop, who came to tell her he felt she was creating a "scandal" by championing the legislation.

Berg said she has faced public censure from her church several times over the years for her positions on issues such as abortion and sex education. She sat down and talked to the bishop for almost two hours. She didn't change her position or her views.

"I said, 'We are going to disagree on this issue,' " she recalled, " 'But we can disagree without being disagreeable.' "

Good God! She founded Planned Parenthood, she can't wait to off the elderly, and she boasts of being a "practicing Catholic." Clearly, we need more professed Satanists (and fewer of these "Catholics") in public office.

[My2Cents]

And George Felos.

[conservative blonde]

Berg is just kidding herself if she thinks she is a practicing Catholic. She isn't. I wonder if she could visualize herself saying to God "we will just have to have a disagreement about this issue." I doubt if the woman even believes in God.

[harpo11]

What is Berg, a closet murderer? What a fiendish ghoul she is. I bet she wails when a death row inmate after 25 years of appeals finally pays the price for their hideous crime.

[tubebender]

This nut case represents my district and we call her Little Patty Berg because a six year old has more brains and smarts. She has voted against small business 100% of the time...