Anesthesiologist's Letter
Dear Dr. Weitzel,
I have read the cases on your website and the newspaper articles that you
e-mailed to me. It is difficult for me to understand how you could have
been accused even of negligence in the treatment of these patients; there is
obviously no indication of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, prosecutors
have tremendous power over individuals in this country, and there are
practically no mechanisms which are able effectively to oppose their abuses
of power. It appears that you were unlucky enough to become a pawn in the
"euthanasia" debate which was spawned by Oregon's right-to-die law,
which
probably had very unpopular resonance in your religiously-conservative
state. Nevertheless, this is a poor reason for the scapegoating of an
innocent individual. I trust that a second trial will clearly
exonerate
you. Your ordeal is a sobering note to those others of us who try to treat
our fellow man's misery. I would be happy to be kept informed of the
progress of your trial. If I can be of help, I would be pleased to do what
I can.
Sincerely,
Tom Stinson, Ph.D., M.D.
Chief of Anesthesiology
Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford
Medford, MA