Reported Assisted-Suicide
Deaths in Oregon & Washington State - April, 2010 -
Chart (PDF)
Washington State Releases First Annual Report on Assisted Suicide
(3/4/10)
When Washington released its first annual report,
one editorial favorably noted that the deaths
saved money
for families. Another
"celebrated" the deaths. Certainly, it's true. Dead family
members don't cost money. But celebrating their deaths costs
us all our humanity. (3/6/10)
Text
of Washington Death with Dignity Act
Analysis
of Initiative 1000, Washington's assisted-suicide initiative.
Ads
against Initiative 1000 feature actor Martin Sheen.
Funding
Watch: Assisted-suicide advocacy groups provide major
funding for I 1000.
Audio -
Rita Marker on I-1000 (The New Atlantis 10/22/08)
Washington Not Dead
Yet blog
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Debate about I-1000 (video)
Debate, sponsored by the University of Washington Evans School of
Public Affairs, features Duane French and Booth Gardner.
Articles
"ObamaCare High School: Reading, Writing, and Suicide
Assistance?"
( American Thinker - WA, USA- April 14, 2010 )
In Washington State, an 18-year-old high school senior could be
"qualified" for assisted suicide at a school-based health
clinic. Within two weeks, she could be referred to an assisted
suicide advocacy group and provided with a prescription for a
lethal drug overdose. She could take it. And die - without her
parents even knowing she was ill. It would all be perfectly
legal. More
"Support Group Speaker Promotes Assisted Suicide"
When the pulmonary rehab therapist suggested a support group, a
Washington State couple didn't expect a speaker from an
assisted-suicide advocacy group who would promote assisted
suicide.
"Dial 911 for Suicide Assistance?"
( American Thinker - WA, USA - September 28, 2009 )
If a suicidal cancer patient calls 911 in Washington State, will
she be provided with all "end-of-life options," including a
referral to the assisted-suicide advocacy group, Compassion &
Choices? More
"‘Death with Dignity’: What Do We Advise Our Clients?"
( King County Bar Association - Seattle, WA USA - May, 2009 )
If a client wants to know about the Death with Dignity Act
(Washington's new assisted-suicide law), should an attorney take
the politically correct path? Or should she do her job as a
lawyer and tell the client that the Act has problems and that he
may want to take steps to protect himself? More
"Letter noting assisted suicide raises questions"
( KATU - Springfield, Oregon USA - November 20, 2008 )
Her doctor offered hope in the new chemotherapy drug Tarceva,
but the Oregon Health Plan sent her a letter telling her the
cancer treatment was not approved. Instead, the letter said, the
plan would pay for comfort care, including ''physician aid in
dying,'' better known as assisted suicide.
Video
More
"Washington's New Suicide Law Reflects Unfair Prejudices"
( The Hastings Center - Bioethics Forum - Jan/Feb, 2009 )
The problem with physician-assisted suicide is that it presumes
euthanasia is a rational choice for someone in dire straits,
based solely on that person's diagnosis. If, on the other hand,
a healthy, able-bodied person requests a doctor's aid in death,
what happens? Antidepressant medication or psychological
counseling will likely by prescribed. More
"Washington State Voters Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide"
(NWV, 11/24/08)
"We're tired of being the sprouts-chewing liberals out in
Oregon...We need another state."
"I-1000 could remove personal choice," writes former
Washington Governor John Spellman.
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 21, 2008)
"An Open Letter to Baroness Warnock on Assisted Suicide"
(American Thinker; Oct. 4, 2008)
When she said people with Alzheimer's should be able to appoint
someone to request euthanasia for them, Britain's leading medical
ethicist, Baroness Mary Warnock, caused a firestorm of controversy.
A similar, but little known, proposal was made by those in the
forefront of Oregon's assisted-suicide law and the current
Washington State initiative to legalize assisted suicide.
"Oregon's Suicidal Approach to Health Care" (American
Thinker; Sept. 14, 2008)
Oregon seems to have found a surefire way to lower health care
costs: Tell the patient you'll pay for drugs that will end her
life, but not those that would extend her life." Now, Oregon
assisted-suicide activists are trying to bring the Oregon experience
to Washington.
"Proposal is reckless, unnecessary" (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, 8/25/08)
In the past, Rheba De Tornyay, dean and professor emeritus of the
University Washington School of Nursing, "robustly supported"
assisted suicide and euthanasia. Now she opposes Washington's
assisted-suicide initiative because "a profit-preoccupied medical
establishment, combined with emotionally and financially stressed
families, would press them to accept death, regardless of the
heralded safeguards laws would contain."
"The indignity of I-1000: Backers' claims misleading"
(Seattle Times, 8/20/08)
"Up until two months ago, I had no strong opinion on the proposed
Death with Dignity Act, which is on the ballot as Initiative 1000.
That was, until I read its actual language."
"Booth Gardner: Tribute or fundraiser?" (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, 8/20/08)
A September "Dinner of Appreciation" for former Governor Booth
Gardner, with tickets starting at $20,000, may be a thinly veiled
fundraiser for Washington's assisted-suicide initiative.
"Letter noting
assisted suicide raises questions" (KATU TV; Portland, OR;
July 31, 2008)
Interview with Barbara Wagner who was denied chemotherapy, but
offered assisted suicide, by the Oregon Health Plan. Includes
link to
video
interview.
More on assisted suicide in
Oregon.
"Assisted suicide gets push from out of state"
Portland Oregon based Death with Dignity National Center's
annual report tells the tale of its behind the scenes manipulation
of Washington State's assisted-suicide initiative.
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 7/28/08)
"'Assisted suicide' describes initiative correctly"
Washington state supporters of I-1000 complained that the
measure should not be described as an assisted-suicide proposal.
However, the Associated Press and newspapers will continue to refer
to it as "assisted suicide."
According The Olympian's executive editor, "the phrase [assisted
suicide] is a simple, accurate description of the proposal. We
recognize there are negative connotations attached to the word
suicide, but its definition is clear - the act of taking one's own
life voluntarily and intentionally."
(The Olympian, 7/15/08)
"A matter of life and death for state's voters" (Seattle PI,
5/27/08)
Kathryn Tucker, an advocate of the Oregon law described those in the
assisted-suicide movement as people of "affluence" and "high
education."
"Oregon's Trojan Horse"
"If other states refused to pass laws patterned on Oregon's current,
seemingly restrictive law, it was a sure bet that they'd be even
less inclined to follow Oregon's lead if it were to be expanded."
"Suicide
as a Medical Treatment"
Assisted-suicide campaign spokesperson admits it's only intended to
be the "first step."
"I-1000 campaign seeks to sell voters on death" (Seattle
P-I, 3/30/08)
"If you are campaigning for the 'right' of people to kill
themselves, the first challenge is finding a nonlethal definition:
Soft reassuring terms must be substituted for the off-putting phrase
'assisted suicide.'"
"Gardner crusade is a selfish last act"
(Seattle P-I, 1/11/08)
Why Booth Gardner's "last campaign is harmful to the sick, the
disabled, the vulnerable...and society.
"Unlike father,
unlike son" The Gardners are split on 'death with dignity"
(Crosscut, 1/11/08)
"Just don't call it suicide, initiative's backers say"
(Seattle Times, 1/9/08)
Assisted-suicide activists want to avoid the word "suicide" when
discussing their proposal.
"Former Gov. Gardner becomes assisted suicide's advocate"
(Herald, Everett, WA, 1/6/08)
Filing of the assisted-suicide measure is expected to take place on
Wednesday, January 9. Supporters set up a campaign committee last
year and had raised $253,000 by Dec. 1.
"Death in the Family" by Daniel Bergner (The New York Times
Magazine, 12/2/07)
"Booth Gardner, a former governor of Washington State who has
Parkinson's, is urgently lobbying for a doctor-assisted-suicide
law." "Gardner's campaign is a compromise; he sees it as a first
step. If he can sway Washington to embrace a restrictive law, then
other states will follow. And gradually, he says, the nation's
resistance will subside, the culture will shift and laws with more
latitude will be passed..."
"Physician-assisted suicide symptom of broken system
(The Olympian, Olympia, Washington, 9/28/07)
Washington State disability rights activist Joelle Brouner explains
why Washington is no place for Oregon-style assisted suicide. "Is it
so great a leap to think that a system with a record of perpetuating
bias could abuse its power to promote death as a management strategy
to achieve cost savings?"
"Ex-governor seeking death with dignity" (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, 5/18/07)
Ex-governor Booth Gardner pledges to fight to legalize
assisted-suicide.
"Gardner: I've thought about the end" (Seattle Times,
2/10/06)
Former governor wants to
legalize assisted suicide but doesn't want the word "suicide" used
to describe it.
