Washington State Legalizes Assisted Suicide; is Wisconsin Next?

After an eleven year string of failures in various states, euthanasia proponents recognized a significant victory when Washington State voters legalized assisted suicide via a November 4 ballot measure. Buoyed by this success, Compassion and Choices and its allies are gearing up for a state by state strategy to add to Oregon and Washington other states that will offer death as an option.

Will Wisconsin be next? Senator Fred Risser of Madison, who introduces legalization legislation every session, certainly got the message. His sidekick, Rep. Frank Boyle, has retired from the legislature, but Risser will be recruiting companions to assist him in pushing for a culture of death.

In Washington State, doctors and hospitals are lining up to let prospective patients and the public know they will not participate in assisted suicide. This is very good news — no practitioners, no deaths. Perhaps, assisting in death will become a new “specialty,” like abortion, with only a few medical people participating.

Proponents of euthanasia raised an incredible amount of money to promote the I 1000 initiative. Donors as far away as England made huge contributions. By concentrating on one state, proponents were able to consolidate their resources and achieve success. It is a lesson to be learned.

Barbara Lyons