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"I must confess that I have never found myself standing at some terribly critical juncture where I had to trade my life to insure your liberties. But there have been untold millions who found themselves standing on battlefields strewn with unimaginable horrors who had to face that very choice. And although words fall miserably short in framing a heart overflowing with appreciation, I want to thank those who at those moments and in those places decided to hand me my liberty through the sacrifice of their lives.”
                                                                                        ― Craig D. Lounsbrought 
Memorial Day and Human Rights
With the world caught up in the fear, frustration and misery of a global pandemic, Memorial Day this year will be unlike any other. Traditional barbecues, parades and family gatherings will be limited in size and socially distanced. Nevertheless, we will all pause, if only for a moment, to honor the women and men who have died on battlefields worldwide protecting our freedoms and fundamental human rights. This is the day set aside to express gratitude to to our 660,000 war dead and publicly recognize their ultimate sacrifice. But Arizona can do more. Today we can renew our commitment to protect those rights by exercising them – starting with a renewed effort to win for Arizonans the right to freely and legally choose aid-in-dying -- a right already granted to residents of nine other states and the District of Columbia, where dedicated advocates have changed minds and laws. And now the time has come for our state to step into the 21st century as well. Arizonans are waiting. 
The first touch of our Seven Touches Campaign was introduced in the May 8 edition of this newsletter. If you have already sent brief email messages to your three legislators urging support for medical aid in dying, BRAVO!
If not, it isn't too late. We hope you decide to invest about 15 minutes a month between now and the end of the year to show your support.
The campaign is focused on familiarizing legislators with AZELO, increasing their understanding of medical aid in dying, and providing them an opportunity to meet with our constituent/volunteers. The process calls for "touching" each legislator seven times via emails, phone calls and personal visits. This is where you become an essential part of the campaign. And you can start right now with Touch Number One. 
STEP ONE  First you need to locate the name and email address for the Senator and two Representatives who represent the Legislative District you live in. To start, simply go to this AZ Website and enter your home address. Your Legislative District will pop up at the top of the map. (Your Congressional District will also be displayed, but ignore that for now.)

STEP TWO  Next, you need to type the number of your Legislative District on this website My State Legislators where the House Roster and Senate Roster provide each member's name, phone number and email address. Note that when you send your emails, each person's name has to include the extension @azleg.gov. Thus, for example, John Allen's email address would be JALLEN@azleg.gov.

STEP THREE  Draft an email something like the SAMPLE below. It's fine to send the same email message to each of your three legislators. Just remember to change the recipients' names and email addresses. Remember, the SAMPLE is exactly that, so feel free to change up some of the language to suit your own personal style. 

STEP FOUR  Proofread each email to eliminate possible typos, save a copy for your files, and send your First Touch on its way. If you run into a question about the campaign that you can't answer, please give Education Chair Dwight Moore a call at 360-223-4958.

                                          SAMPLE EMAIL

Dear (name)

These are difficult times for our state and country. As a citizen of Arizona, I wanted to thank you for your efforts regarding the COVID-19 crisis. It is because of a state-wide strategy that we will recover and move forward.

The reason I am writing is because I am particularly interested in quality end-of-life care. As you may know, 70 million people in the U.S. have access to Medical Aid in Dying in 10 different states. Arizona has not passed such legislation yet, but our hope at Arizona End-of-Life Options is that we are able to do this in the next legislative session. We have more than 350 volunteers here in Arizona and work closely with the national offices of Death with Dignity and Compassion & Choices.

Over the next few months I will send you more information on Medical Aid in Dying (MAID).

Finally, for your convenience, I am including a link to a Fact Sheet that will answer many questions about Arizona End-of-Life Options.

Thank you,
(your name)
(your home address)

 
NOTE to volunteers, here is a link to our approved Fact Sheet
https://www.azendoflifeoptions.org/files/AZ-End-of-Life-Options-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Please attach this link to each email before sending.
 
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Arizona End-of-Life Options
May 24, 2020

Our mailing address is:
c/o 15786 W Merrell St. Goodyear, AZ 856395