The media often write about assisted suicide as if the only opponents are pro-lifers, religious conservatives, and the Catholic Church.
But that is, as the old saying goes, fake news. Some of the most vociferous and effective opponents of legalizing suicide by doctor are members of the disability rights community, organizations such as Not Dead Yet. Disability rights activists, generally stated, are secular in their approach, not pro-life about abortion, and politically liberal.
People with disabilities see themselves targeted by the euthanasia movement, and indeed, note that that the reasons given for permitting terminally ill people to access lethal prescriptions — a limitation on access that is not shared in most other jurisdictions where euthanasia/assisted suicide are legal — deal with issues that people with disabilities face in their everyday lives. The idea — their fear — is that society is coming to accept the noxious idea that life with disabilities is not worth living.
Now, the National Council on Disability — an independent agency of the federal government — has issued a powerful report on the dangers to people with disabilities of legalizing assisted. It withers the mendacious and ubiquitous claims by proponents that “guidelines will protect against abuse.” From The Danger of Assisted Suicide Laws:
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