October 06, 2005

The supreme court began debating Oregon's assisted suicide law. I'm really worried that they will overturn it. John Ashcroft got the ball rolling trying to overturn the law several years ago, but lower courts sided with Oregon on the matter, but now it's up to the Supreme Court. With Sandra Day O'Connor most likely leaving before the court decides the issue, I fear the court will be too conservative to uphold the law, which is quite sad.

Part of what angers me about this is that republicans claim to be gung ho about limited government and states rights, yet they barged right in on this issue, completely ignoring Oregon's rights in the matter. The people of Oregon debated the issue of assisted suicide, we voted on and approved the law, but because this conservative administration doesn't agree with what Oregon decided, our rights as a state are being eviscerated. Oregon voted this law into being, we put the issue before the people and let them decide, but apparently voting and democracy don't mean much anymore.

But most of what makes me angry about this issue is peoples opposition to it. I really don't understand why people are opposed to assisted suicide. The law simply allows terminally ill people with less than 6 months to live the option of ending their lives via medication. The law allows terminally ill people to die on their own terms, and who is anyone to say that they don't have the right to do so? These people have suffered through terminal illness, endured great pain, and are losing their lives, can't we at least let them decide how they want the end of their life to be?

Some people oppose assisted suicide due to religious reasons, but the fact that there are different religions, different gods and various interpretations of religion and god must be respected. A catholic or baptist may strongly believe assisted suicide is wrong, but not everyone is catholic or baptist, and demanding that everyone live according to your personal religious views is wrong. That's why laws and government cannot be based on religion. We are not a one god fits all society and freedom will cease to exist if we cater to only one point of view.

That's why we need choice, because it allows each person to do what's right for them, or what's right by their religion. I understand that assisted suicide is a deeply personal and controversial, but I think Oregon got it right in addressing the issue. We passed a law that allows everyone to decide for themselves, to do what's right for them. Hopefully the supreme court will respect that and understand that peoples and states rights should be protected, not taken away.

Live and let live. Die and let die. To each their own.

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