Brittany Maynard’s ‘Right To Die’ Video: Denying Euthanasia Causes Agony, Indignity
Brittany Maynard died with dignity roughly four months ago, but that hasn’t stopped her from advocating for “right to die” legislation.
Her family recently released a new video of Maynard giving a legislative testimony for a right to die bill currently being debated in California. If the state passed such a bill, it would be the sixth state to allow “death with dignity,” after Oregon, Montana, Vermont, Washington and New Mexico.
In Maynard’s case, she traveled to Oregon to die. According to Time Magazine, she ended her life on November 1st last year. As she explained in the video, she would have rather stayed near her friends and family in California.
“I am heartbroken that I had to leave behind my home, my community, and my friends in California, but I am dying and I refuse to lose my dignity. I refuse to subject myself and my family to purposeless, prolonged pain and suffering at the hands of an incurable disease.”
Maynard’s death reinvigorated the debate about right to die issues and put pressure on Californian legislators to pass a death with dignity bill.
Still, the state has a number of critics to the new patients rights policies, according to the Sacramento Bee. Senior policy analyst at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Marilyn Golden explained that a death with dignity law would allow frightening forms of abuse.
“Where assisted suicide is legal, some people’s lives will be ended without their consent through mistakes and abuse.”
Just hours after Maynard’s family released this video, the Senate Health Committee voted six to two to let the bill proceed to the floor.
California Catholic Conference executive director Ned Dolejsi called the decision “disappointing.”
“The ‘safeguards’ in SB 128 are illusory precisely because they are arbitrarily set, with no sound medical rationale.”
Those objectors will have their work cut out for them. Despite Brittany Maynard death, she still serves as a strong advocate for a right to die.
[Image Credit: Youtube/Compassion Choices]
