By Rebecca Mastee

Election season is upon us. Candidates are vying for attention and votes. All modes of communication are abuzz with messages of change and promises to be fulfilled. In a couple of weeks, we will be called to the polls to cast our votes for the next group of legislators who will evaluate proposals and pass laws, and for the judges who will interpret these laws. The impact of the legislators and the judges will be lasting.

It is our obligation to cast informed votes. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that our “co-responsibility for the common good [makes] it morally obligatory … to exercise the right to vote.” (n. 2240). Further expounding upon this obligation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics” encourages “all citizens, particularly Catholics, to embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life. . . We must exercise [the power to vote] in ways that defend human life, especially those of God’s children who are unborn, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable.” (n. 34)

This year in Montana, a number of grave threats to human life and the vulnerable are upon us. Over the last six legislative sessions, at least, a variety of legislation that would protect women and the unborn from abortion has failed to pass through the Legislature. Those laws that did pass often were declared, by the courts, unconstitutional and unenforceable. This is a big problem.

Montana has few protections for women considering abortion, for the unborn and for their families. Coupling this with minimal, practically nonexistent regulation of abortion providers, the risk of uninformed decisions, unsafe practices and unethical procedures is very high. This needs to change. We at the Montana Catholic Conference will strive to make changes during the lawmaking session. Those who are elected will have the greatest impact on our efforts, both legislatively and judicially.

An additional threat this year is the potential for legalization of assisted suicide. Last year, the Montana Supreme Court’s Baxter decision did not legalize assisted suicide, but it opened the door for the Legislature to consider doing so. Legalized assisted suicide poses a serious threat to the elderly, the disabled and, really, all Montanans. It is a recipe for abuse.

Although legalization likely would require one be “terminally ill” to carry out assisted suicide, this is only a spurious safeguard. Doctors’ prognoses often are wrong. Consider the conclusions of Dr. Richard Wonderly and attorney Theresa Schrempp, both of Washington state, where assisted suicide is legal. They assert that in Montana, the definition of “terminally ill” to be used for assisted suicide, as proposed in Baxter documents, “is broad enough to include an 18-year-old who is insulin dependent or dependent on kidney dialysis, or a young adult with stable HIV/AIDS. Each of these patients could live for decades with appropriate medical treatment.” Assisted suicide is not the answer for Montanans. Rather, neighborly concern and good care are the answer.

Help as we work to create a culture of life in Montana law. Inform yourself. Vote smart. Lives depend upon it.


Rebecca Mastee is associate director of policy for the Montana Catholic Conference. She may be reached by phone at 442-5761 or by e-mail to rebecca@montanacc.org.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 10, October 15, 2010.