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New Poll Claims Majority of Americans Favor Legalizing Assisted Suicide
Life News ^ | 5/15/08 | Steven Ertelt

Posted on 05/15/2008 2:39:53 PM PDT by wagglebee

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new poll finds a majority of Americans would support their own state following Oregon's lead and legalizing assisted suicide. The results, if accurate, should be a concern for pro-life advocates who are working hard to stop Washington and other states from following suit.

Knowledge Networks conducted the survey online and about 66 percent of the 1,100 people polled said they would favor legalizing assisted suicide.

Other results from the survey showed more than 80 percent of Americans believe neither the government, the church nor a third party should decide when people should have a right to die.

Yet the poll also found just 50 percent of Americans over 60 and only 25 percent of younger people have a living will or some other form of advanced directive spelling out their medical treatment decisions.

The survey also found half of Americans think they could become the primary caregiver for an elderly family member or friend.

The result of the survey don't mesh with other polls showing a much lower level of support for assisted suicide.

A September 2007 Harris Poll found only 39 percent supported "physician assisted suicide" with another 31 percent opposing it and 21 percent not sure of their position.

Backers of assisted suicide were much less strongly supportive of it than those who oppose the practice.

Other than those supporting assisted suicide, the Harris Poll found just 38 percent strongly support it while, among those who oppose it, 74 percent are strongly opposed.

The Harris Poll found only 31 percent of Republicans, 40 percent of Democrats, and 45 percent of independent voters support assisted suicide. People between the ages of 31 and 61 were most likely to back assisted suicide while those 18-30 were most likely to oppose it.

Meanwhile, leading euthanasia opponent Alex Schadenberg says the results of polls on assisted suicide depend on the context and wording of the question.

He points out that, while some polls show support for assisted suicide, when voters actually head to the polls in mass, such as they have in Maine and Michigan, they reject measures to make assisted suicide legal.

According to Gallup's 2007 Values and Beliefs survey, conducted May 10-13, the perceived morality of doctor-assisted suicide divides Americans about equally making it of the most controversial social issues for Americans.

Just under half (49%) call it morally acceptable while 44% call it morally wrong and those divisions break down along party and socioeconomic lines. While white, Democrats liberals consider assisted suicide morally acceptable a majority of nonwhites, Republicans, and conservatives call it morally wrong.

And a May 2007 poll from Ipsos Public Affairs found Americans are divided with 48 percent saying it should be legal for "doctors to help terminally ill patients end their own life by giving them a prescription for fatal drugs."

Another 44 percent disagreed and 8 percent were unsure or refused to answer the question.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: euthanasia; moralabsolutes; prolife
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The result of the survey don't mesh with other polls showing a much lower level of support for assisted suicide.

They probably just kept starting over until they got the results they were looking for.

1 posted on 05/15/2008 2:39:53 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 05/15/2008 2:40:18 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


3 posted on 05/15/2008 2:40:44 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee


Does this count as legally assisted suicide?
4 posted on 05/15/2008 2:42:54 PM PDT by The_Republican (Ovaries of the World Unite! Rush, Laura, Ann, Greta - Time for the Ovulation!)
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To: floriduh voter; Lesforlife; BykrBayb

Ping


5 posted on 05/15/2008 2:44:30 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

I would say so. With the boomer generation being so “peer pressure” oriented, the “you can’t be cool unless you’re hip and agree” tactic has shown itself a powerful propaganda tool that works.

Why should the left stop doing what gets them where they want to go? Until Americans smarten up, this will continue, sadly.

(public schools have shown themselves a great “pressure cooker” for forming more of the same mind set in mass numbers)


6 posted on 05/15/2008 2:45:37 PM PDT by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publici scholae)
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To: wagglebee
Knowledge Networks conducted the survey online....

Is there a reason to read further???

7 posted on 05/15/2008 2:50:16 PM PDT by Always Right (Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?)
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To: TruthConquers

“I would say so. With the boomer generation being so “peer pressure” oriented, the “you can’t be cool unless you’re hip and agree” tactic has shown itself a powerful propaganda tool that works”

Bet they change their mind when they figure out we’re happy to offer assistance..


8 posted on 05/15/2008 3:01:58 PM PDT by Crim (Dont frak with the Zeitgeist....http://falconparty.com/)
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To: wagglebee

It looks like the Republican party believes in euthenasia also. I’m not going to assist it with a vote for McCain.


9 posted on 05/15/2008 3:02:00 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (If you continue to hold your nose and vote, and always win, your nation will be destroyed.)
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To: Crim

It is amazing how people don’t consider how what they advocate will come back to bite them. Blind fools leading the blind.


10 posted on 05/15/2008 3:20:51 PM PDT by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publici scholae)
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To: wagglebee

New poll by nazi sympathizers....


11 posted on 05/15/2008 3:31:35 PM PDT by floriduh voter (FL Gov. Crist "This is America. I can wear whatever I want. I believe in freedom." You go, girl.)
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To: wagglebee

Not sure why suicide needs to be assisted - many people are capable of doing it well enough on their own....


12 posted on 05/15/2008 3:32:04 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: DoughtyOne

HA...good one!


13 posted on 05/15/2008 3:34:57 PM PDT by Crim (Dont frak with the Zeitgeist....http://falconparty.com/)
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To: wagglebee
Well, be prepared: if we get either socialized Obamacare or McCain's plan, you will see companies jump out of the health insurance business, followed by rationing under either plan that is going to make diseases such as AIDs, MS, and others impossible to get medicine for. Once rationing starts to take place, and they decide that they just can't cover "certain drugs," the lines for assisted suicide are going to get much longer.

No matter what a person's moral position, that's the fact: once rationing is in place, people with untreatable, painful conditions or progressive conditions that are denied meds are just going to opt out.

14 posted on 05/15/2008 3:49:31 PM PDT by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of News)
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To: wagglebee

Get to it Libs, DNC, McManic


15 posted on 05/15/2008 4:13:53 PM PDT by Waco
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To: Crim

;-)


16 posted on 05/15/2008 4:56:13 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (If you continue to hold your nose and vote, and always win, your nation will be destroyed.)
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To: TruthConquers
Exactly.

This says it all:

Other results from the survey showed more than 80 percent of Americans believe neither the government, the church nor a third party should decide when people should have a right to die.

Most people don't want to give up power, they don't want for government (bureaucrats) to decide when they die (or what medical procedures they can/cannot have) BUT they are too lazy to do the work themselves (too lazy to pay for their own damn health care) and too stupid to study history and understand bigger government = less personal freedom.
17 posted on 05/16/2008 6:30:43 AM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: TruthConquers

18 posted on 05/16/2008 8:00:21 AM PDT by Pinkbell
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To: floriduh voter

I do not believe this poll. Polls can be manipulated.


19 posted on 05/16/2008 10:22:09 AM PDT by Dante3
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To: wagglebee
There's no way to tell if someone's being killed or are doing the terrible act of committing suicide. Hypoethetical conversation in Oregon.

"Hello, my name is Jacque and I will be assisting you in your suicide today." Patient-Victim, "Huh?" (could have been drugged for days and not even aware of what's taking place.)

It's going to be like going to a restaurant or a hair salon. Murder ain't a meal or a haircut. Suicide is self murder. Murder's murder.

20 posted on 05/16/2008 1:01:32 PM PDT by floriduh voter (FL Gov. Crist "This is America. I can wear whatever I want. I believe in freedom." You go, girl.)
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