Helps people end their lives even if they’re not terminally ill

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Associated Press:

Critics say a Georgia-based  group is undermining efforts to win national acceptance for assisted suicide by aiding in the deaths of people who are not terminally ill.

Members of the group Final Exit say they simply want to extend the right to die to people who believe their lives are not worth living. Four members of the group were arrested in a sting operation last week and are being charged in the death of John Celmer, a man who was disfigured after several surgeries on his head and neck. Celmer had previously had cancer, but was cancer-free at the time of his death.

Authorities say the group may have been involved in as many as 200 deaths.

Stephen Drake of the group Not Dead Yet, an advocacy group for people with disabilities that opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia, said the group’s activities are “predatory.”

“These are people who get off on being there for death. They target certain types of people,” he said. “And when we make laws, when we talk about people who want to commit suicide, we’re getting into very dangerous territory.”

See also:

• Assisted suicide group may have had role in 130 deaths – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Woman who killed sick sons wants assisted suicide legalized – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Preparing to End Her Life, While Protecting Another – New York Times

This entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 7:14 am and is filed under assisted suicide, cancer, criminal justice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.