Washington Approves Of Suicide

While here in California voters decided to "eliminate the right" of gays to marry, in Washington, voters approved the right of terminally ill patients to choose assisted suicide.

On Tuesday, Washington became the second state to approve such a law. Oregon is the first. Similar laws failed in California, Michigan and Maine.

Initiative 1000 allows patients to choose a prescription for self-administered lethal medication. In order to receive the fatal treatment, patients must be at least 18, competent, and a Washington resident, and they must request the medication out loud twice, 15 days apart, in addition to a written request witnessed by two people, one of which cannot be connected to the patient in any way. A doctor must also certify that the patient indeed has less than 6 months to live.

I-1000 met with a wall of opposition during its campaign run, with more than a million dollars poured into it.

In the end, the state approved. The Initiative is intended to provide compassion and dignity to those who are often too ill to care for themselves.

Since Oregon approved of the "Death with Dignity" law in 1994, 340 patients have chosen to end their lives at their own hands. Many were sufferers of cancer who cited "loss of autonomy, loss of dignity and a decreasing ability to participate in activities they enjoyed" as their reasons.

Long-term care worker Mike Dingus voted "Yes," saying, "You don't get much choice coming in, so you should get some choice going out."

From: Perez Hilton