Latest Showdown over Assisted Suicide ; US Supreme Court Is Likely to Be Asked to Settle Dispute between Bush Administration and Oregon over State's'right to Die' Law

Brad Knickerbocker writer of The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor

Four years ago, Oregon began a social and medical experiment with profound ethical implications: allowing physicians to help people end their lives. Now, the Bush administration has chosen the state, with its unique suicide law, as a place to shore up its conservative wing by asserting its "pro-life" political credentials.

Leading the effort is Attorney General John Ashcroft, an opponent of abortion and legalized suicide since his days as a US senator. Last week, Mr. Ashcroft ruled that under the federal Controlled Substances Act, doctors may not prescribe drugs for the purpose of hastening death. A federal judge immediately placed a temporary restraining order on …

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Publication information: Article title: Latest Showdown over Assisted Suicide ; US Supreme Court Is Likely to Be Asked to Settle Dispute between Bush Administration and Oregon over State's'right to Die' Law. Contributors: Brad Knickerbocker writer of The Christian Science Monitor - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: November 15, 2001. Page number: 3. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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