Assisted suicide advocates are claiming a new wave of momentum following the highly publicized suicide of a 29-year-old Oregon woman with brain cancer.
A national campaign to allow doctors to assist people in killing themselves was launched Wednesday in California with the introduction of the “California End of Life Option Act” that is modeled after the 1994 Oregon law approving physician-assisted suicide.
A dozen other states will have similar measures introduced this legislative season.
The media stardom of Brittany Maynard is being used as a tool for the pro-death advocates. However, they don’t highlight the fact Maynard’s story did not go viral on its own. A group called Compassion and Choices, funded by major Democratic party donor George Soros, was pushing the story behind the scenes to major news outlets.
“It’s an organized campaign funded by Soros money, and they’re using the Maynard case as their launching pad,” said Wesley J. Smith, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and a euthanasia opponent.
“Let’s think about this for a second: There have been over 700 assisted suicides in Oregon, and not one of them got this kind of attention. What you have is a movement that looks around for just the right kind of emotional kick,” Mr. Smith said. “You don’t get this kind of international, high-profile media by accident.”
The group reportedly arranged for Maynard’s profile in People Magazine.
