CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS MAKE AN EXCUSE FOR SUCIDE

Californian Brittany Maynard, the US woman with terminal cancer whose video about planning to kill herself on November 1, 2014 went viral. Photo courtesy of Compassion & Choices, The Brittany Fund © / AFP

Euthanasia also known as mercy killing has been described as the killing of someone or ones self to end suffering, in either ways it involves the consent of the person on whom the act is to be carried on it is generally cartegorized into two voluntary and non voluntary killing which is usually considered murder.
In some countries there is a divisive public controversy over the moral, ethical, and legal issues of euthanasia. Those who are against euthanasia may argue for the sanctity of life, while proponents of euthanasia rights emphasize alleviating suffering, and preserving bodily integrity, self-determination, and personal autonomy. Jurisdictions where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal include the Netherlands, Colombia, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, Albania, the US states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Vermont and, starting in 2015, the Canadian Province of Quebec.

It is in this regard that lawmakers of the californian state assembly voted in favour of a bil to allow for terminally ill people to end their lives. This was approved on a 42-33 vote which saw the majority having a upper hand. The End of Life Option Act would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication, according to the Associated Press. Specifically, patients would be required to make two oral requests spaced 15 days apart, and submit one written request. All three requests would have to be personally received by an attending physician.

If passed into law, the act would sunset in 10 years, giving lawmakers a chance to review its merits and decide whether to grant an extension.

The bill’s advance comes after the highly publicized case of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a California woman with brain cancer that moved to Oregon to legally take her own life, and who had ardently urged California lawmakers to pass the legislation prior to her passing.

However, California Governor Jerry Brown, a Catholic faithful from birth, has not said whether he will sign it into law, and sources claim this may be an hinderance in the application of this section of the law.