Wednesday, July 26, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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I read with sadness about the death of Lynda Brooks-Bracey, from pancreatic cancer (“Nevada governor co-signs cruelty in denying patients the dignity of a peaceful death,” July 21).
Ms. Brooks-Bracey was a passionate advocate for the approval of Senate Bill 239, also known as the “Death with Dignity” bill. My wife, Wendy Bortnick-Hayden, died March 2 as a result of ovarian cancer, after suffering terrible sickness and pain for eight months.
The Nevada Legislature passed SB 239 in spite of the opposition from most of its Republican members, which is not surprising. However, Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill based on information proven to be untrue.
Lombardo’s action, along with the actions of those in the Legislature who opposed SB 239, tell us all we need to know about their level of humanity regarding human suffering. They’ll willingly end the life of their precious pet, in order to put an end to its suffering, but Ms. Brooks-Bracey and my wife — and our families and the many others like us — are excluded from their compassion.
The hypocrisy they demonstrate is disgusting and shameful. Many people believe in karma, the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. If karma does exist, I hope Lombardo and others like him experience it.
