Reaction To Death Broad Some Denounce Assisted Suicide; Others Say Law Works

Reaction to the first reported death under Oregon’s assisted suicide law ranged from bitterness to expressed confidence that the law is working they way it was meant to.

Rita Marker, director of the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force called the physician-assisted death of an elderly Portland cancer victim Tuesday a staged event.

“The ones that don’t go well will be buried and their stories with them,” she said. “This is the first of their poster deaths intended to create support for Oregon clone laws in other states.”

Robert Castagna of the Oregon Catholic Conference called it “a tragic day for Oregon and our nation.”

“Hooray for the people of Oregon,” said Faye Girsh, executive director of the Hemlock Society, which supports the right to suicide for terminal patients.

“Many people are looking to Oregon to see how this is going to work. And it’s going to work fine. There will be many others now.”

Charles Hinkle, a Portland lawyer who represented sponsors of the doctor-assisted suicide measure, said he wasn’t surprised that someone had availed herself of the law.

“Oregon voters declared very convincingly last year that they wanted to make this procedure available to terminally ill persons who are in need. We expected it would be used by some individuals and we are glad Oregonians have shown the compassion to make this procedure available to individuals who are suffering.”

He said he does not predict a rush of “copycat” assisted suicides because “it is a unique personal and private decision and I think it will continue to be.”