The newest Associated Press story on the battle for and against the proposed assisted suicide law in Washington State continues a promising trend that showed itself in California in coverage of that state’s battle over assisted suicide.
The newest trend is this: The diversity of the opposition to legalized assisted suicide is show, rather than having the opposition framed as solely from prolife and religious groups. In particular, disability activists are front and center.
Just to be clear – every coalition against assisted suicide has been a broad one. The coalitions have included religious groups, groups representing low-income workers, medical groups and disability activists/organizations. The reality is the same – it’s the coverage that seems to be changing.
Here’s an excerpt from the latest AP story about the battle in Washington State:
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — There isn’t much John Peyton can do on his own except speak, and soon he’ll lose even that.
The former Boeing computer programmer has Lou Gehrig’s disease, which progressively paralyzes its victims. His doctor gives him three to six months to live.
He is using his last months to oppose a ballot initiative that would allow physicians in Washington state to help terminally ill patients end their lives. Only Oregon has such a law.
“What we’re really doing I believe, is attempting to eliminate the sufferer so we don’t have to deal with them,” Peyton said.
The last quote (followed by some general info on euthanasia worldwide) is from the leading spokesperson for the Washington State chapter of Not Dead Yet:
Critics, including many doctors and disability-rights advocates, say assisted suicide laws could exploit depressed or vulnerable people who worry they’ve become a burden on their families.
“This capitalizes on those fears people have about a disability, about people losing bodily control and function, that people would be better off dead than having to face that,” said Duane French, spokesman for Not Dead Yet, a disability advocacy group that’s part of the coalition against the measure.
Let’s hope this trend continues – it enhances our chances for adding Washington State to the list of states that have said “no” to legalization of assisted suicide.
For more information, check out the Washington Coalition Against Assisted Suicide.