The Virginia Senate passed an assisted suicide bill last Friday, while Maryland has seen renewed interest with a bill called the End of Life Option Act. Other states considering assisted suicide this year include Arizona, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s mission is to combat the growing acceptance of assisted suicide through advocacy and education. Assisted suicide is legal in 10 states in the U.S.: Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Maine.
When asked by Sabol about what the faithful can do to combat assisted suicide, Schadenberg responded: “Well, I think we have [to be] very clear and not play with the words. We have to say what this is. This is about killing people.”
“We understand that a lot of people go through difficult times in their life, so the other side is playing the whole card about suffering,” he said. “And we understand this is a reality, but at the same time we know, this is about killing people.”
“We need to be caring for people, not killing them,” he said. “And the other side changed the language and they want to call it something else; and no, we have to say what it is and stick to the point and be very vocal about that. Silence is not our friend.”