CUA Law Professor Lucia Silecchia was quoted in a March 18, 2019 National Catholic Register article entitled "Assisted Suicide Battle Plays Out Across Several States."

Assisted Suicide Battle Plays Out Across Several States

From: National Catholic Register
By: Stephen Beale
Date: March 18, 2019

While state abortion laws are seizing headlines, a quieter battle for life is playing out across the country, as at least 15 states weigh legislation that would legalize assisted suicide.

Key battleground states include Maryland, New Jersey, New York and New Mexico, where the leading advocate for the bills, Compassion and Choices, is focusing its efforts, according to Sean Crowley, a spokesman for the organization. Other states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Utah and Virginia.
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"At the time, she forcefully argued in favor of having other states follow Oregon's lead. Her poignant story, well publicized through Compassion and Choices, brought this issue to the attention of a broad audience, including legislators," said Lucia Silecchia, a law professor at The Catholic University of America.

Another factor is the organizational heft of Compassion and Choices, which was formed by merging End-of-Life Choices - originally the Hemlock Society - and Compassion in Dying in 2005. "This merger united their efforts, making the group significantly larger and more powerful," Silecchia said.
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Professor Silecchia said the procedure goes against the core of what it means to be a doctor.

"To 'give a deadly drug' goes against the ancient, secular Hippocratic Oath. Thus the belief that it is wrong predates Christianity and is not dependent on a religious point of view. Thus there are compelling nonsectarian arguments against it," she said.

Pro-life organizations, notably those in Connecticut, have also partnered with disability-rights advocates who express concerns about how such laws might affect the vulnerable.

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