Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 2001)
Letters 2__________ Opinion WEÓNEsdAy, NovEMbER 28, 2001 considered for publication if submitted by 1 pm the Friday prior to publication. Letters to the Editor are subject to editing. We reserve the right to not publish any letter. i f V V. Assisted suicide not dignified j « , CHRISTINA MCFARLAND Staff Writer ying with dignity, or so they call it; personally, I don’t see how being euthanized like a dog thing close to dignified. Doctor-assisted suicide has been heatedly debated ever since I can remember. Suffer ing elderly patients and their loved ones have been fighting for the “right” to take their own lives through fatal doses of doctor-prescribed drugs. Right now death by doctor pre scribed drugs is legal in Or egon; however, death by lethal injection administered by an other person, usually a doctor, is illegal. The line between the two is a fine one. According to federal law, sui- cide is illegal; however, it is unpunishable, obviously. Why shouldn't assisted suicide be illegal also? I understand that these people are enduring tre mendous amounts of suffering and pain, but everyone can’t go around playing God. We were not meant to possess the ability to determine our fates by choosing our time of death. According to author and phi D ____________ All signed letters to the editor should be 500 words or less'and will be Assisted suicide already decided! losopher Francis Schaeffer, events follow a certain pattern. If one exception, or allowance, is made others will follow. If those over the age of 85 strug gling with a fatal disease be is come any legally allowed to commit suicide, who’s to say middle- aged adults suffering from can cer can’t? What about teens with AIDS, or the mentally and physically handicapped? Oth ers who are suffering will soon demand that they also have the right to assisted suicide. Where will it stop? How are we to establish the require ments that make one eligible for doctor-assisted suicide? Does the applicant have to be over 85, struggling with disease, or simply depressed due to the re cent loss of a loved one? Who is going to establish these lim its? The restrictions made will be pushed, according to Schaeffer’s theory. Perhaps they won’t today, but they are bound to be tested later down the road. This spiral of nega tive events is bound to lead even further “downhill.” Doc tor-assisted suicide should be made illegal in Oregon to pre vent this downward spiral from continuing. ELISABETH MEYER Staff Writer Since classical times, think ers have debated the ethics of suicide. I consider the debate fascinating and suspect we’ll never reach a consensus. The issue of assisted suicide is far too complex to adequately ad dress in a few paragraphs, but even without attempting to ex amine personal views on thè subject, we can recognize that Oregonians have drafted, ap proved and successfully der fended a law designed to em power the terminally ill. Period. Oregonians fought for the privilege of voting on this is sue in 1994. In 1997, we voted down a measure aimed at re moving the law by an astonish ingly large margin, 60 to 40 per cent. If we approach the cur rent events from a purely legal standpoint, this is a clear issue of state’s rights versus federal control. • ; ;. > , Since keno ruled that‘the Death with Dignity law did not violate the Controlled Sub stances Act, Oregon voters can only-interpret Ashcroft’s rever sal of her decision as an arbi trary and highly political way ti to block a law he has ideologi b cally opposed for years k Whether you agree with Reno’i I or Ashcroft’s decision, it i j democratically indefensible t<I allow one person to make th< I call. - tj In contrast to Ashcroft’s acl tion based on personal beliefs Senator Ron Wyden opposei the measure in 1994, but ha! since fought for the law at I national level because he feell he must do so to represent th L will of Oregonians. I If America as a nation truly opposes the idea of doctor-as sisted suicide, why has th country failed to make illegal I The Supreme Court has rule< I that while the Constitute L does not protect a citizen’ n right to assisted suicide, it is; I slate’s prerogative to make th act legal. The time-honoreil method of annulling a stat L law—-namely passing a federal law in Congress—has faileil twice. But the majority of Or egonians have made it clea they want doctor-assisted sui I cide legalized. The rights of Oregon voter transcend personal views-h even the personal views of thl> attorney general. What are your thoughts on Oregon’s assisted suicide law? Jeff Nye Steve Griffith Major: Business Major: Psychology "That's a hard one because there's different reasons assisted suicide is good." "I can see why we'd want it and why we wouldn't..because of what my grandma's going through, it's a case by case basis." Photos and quotes compiled by I] i Salena De La Cruz and Maggie Jirasek I, Jeremiah Beckert Dasha Wakefield Major:Business Major: Business/ Marketing "I think if they're suffering they should be able to end their own lives and not have someone decide for them." "I don't think it's bad, but I can see how some people are frustrated...It's their life or thei death." ◄ - Editor-in-Chief: Business Manager: Maggie Jirasek (x2447) Q ac / camas Fkir Spring Fair rocks with loc Pte Opinion Editor/Production Coordinator Salena De La Cruz Copy Editor: Allison Gerfin Sports. Editer: Elena Boryska Managing Editor: Liesl Muggii News Editor: Frank Jordan Photo Editor: Mike Pollock A & E Editor: Daisy Bain • Nick Barron (x2578) . Webmaster: Luke Mahan Staff: • Isaiah Creel. Jesse Gurzynski Eriiur Leiten ’ Christina McFarland Daniel Meiys - Elisabeth-Meyer Ben Walker Leah Boeringa Secretary: JoAnne Gale Advisor: Patty Mamula (x2310) «’I 77ie Clackamas Print aims to report the new in an honest, unbiased, professional manna Thé opinions expressed in The Clackaim Print do not necessarily reflect those of M y student body, college administration, its fac] ülty, or The Clackamas Print advertisers. FW| ucts and services advertised in The Clacka mas Print are not neccesarily endorsed by an) one associated with The Clackamas Prit The advertising rate is $4.75 per column ind F ■ ati The Clackamas Print is a weekly public r tion and is distributed every Wednesday e I cept during Finals week. ■ Copyright 2001.____________________ _ [
