The fear of enduring unceasing pain, of being trapped by medical machines, of losing bodily integrity and personal dignity and of being an emotional and financial drain on one's loved ones- such fear lends strength to the movement for euthanasia and for physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Support for euthanasia/PAS has been spurred on by the Hemlock Society, founded by former journalist Derek Humphry and based in Eugene, Oregon. The society's political armhelped draft initiatives aimed at legalizing euthanasia.Ballot initiatives in the states of Washington (1991) andCalifornia (1992) were both narrowly defeated by a 54 to 46percent margin. The defeat of these "euthanasia" initiativesshifted the focus to "assisted suicide," which gives morecontrol to the dying patient. In 1994 Oregon passed its Death with Dignity Act by a51 to 49 percent margin, becoming the first state tolegalize PAS. The statutes of Washington and New Yorkprohibiting PAS were subjected to constitutional review. InJune 1997 the Supreme Court ruled on Washington v.Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill, declaring that PAS is not aconstitutional right. This ruling left each state free tomake its own decision about whether PAS and euthanasiashould be legally permitted within its borders. The SupremeCourt ruling recognized that our nation is already engagedin an intense debate about the morality, legality andpracticality of PAS, and it encouraged the debate tocontinue. Michael Manning, a physician and a Roman Catholicpriest, reviews the arguments and takes a stand againsteuthanasia/PAS. While giving unequivocal support to theRoman Catholic position, his book is fair in its treatmentof opposing views.(Herbin) Edward Larson and DarrellAmundsen also oppose euthanasia/PAS. :Larson, professor ofhistory and law at the University of Georgia, has a specialinterest in the theory and law of modern health care.(McCuenpg. 36) Amundsen, a professor of classics at WesternWashington University, ...
