This is so ironic I would laugh out loud, were it not so tragic. Oregon is upset that it has a high rate of elder suicide. Yet, amid the wringing hands, no one seems to get that the state itself, by legalizing physician-assisted suicide—sends an insidious message that suicide is fine and dandy in some cases. Despairing people, particularly with health issues, get that point and may think, if it’s okay for the cancer patient, why not also for me?
The first step in reducing suicide is prevention efforts in all cases. But don’t expect Oregon to get that simple point.
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