Linda Fleming, John Peyton and Assisted Suicide in Washington

Over the past week thousands of internet searchers and blogs worldwide have commented on the death of Linda Fleming, a 66-year-old Sequim, Wash., woman who was the first to die under Washington States new "Death with Dignity Act." What many people may not know is that on the same day of Fleming's Death, May 21, John Peyton also passed away in his Washington home. Peyton was a strong opponent of this act, which was passed by a vote of 58% to 42% in November 2008. Washington State is only the second state to pass this type of legislation, 10 years after it took hold in Oregon. An average of 40 people per year, have died since the inception of assisted suicide in Oregon in 1998.

A $1.4 million campaign was launched in partnership with a group known as True Compassion Advocates, in opposition of this pending legislation, and Peyton was one of the most prominent faces of this effort, by appearing on many television commercials.

The campaign in support of this act raised almost five times that amount, and Washington was inundated with perhaps one of the most controversial political decisions it has faced in decades. Between television and radio advertisement, fliers in mailboxes, and front page newspaper articles, the residents of Washington State were forced to take sides.

The stories of Fleming and Peyton are so similar, yet so far apart. Peyton was diagnosed with ALS more than a year ago, and was given an estimated three to six months left to live. Fleming was diagnosed just a month ago with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, with just over a month to live. John Peyton fought to save lives, while Fleming fought for peace of mind. As the extremely close vote count shows, Washingtonians fought for both as well.

Both Peyton and Fleming wanted to die with a stable and clear mind. Peyton's argument was that those who choose to end their life do so out of external pressures (finances, family struggles, etc.) and Fleming's argument was the drugs it would take her to prolong her life would take away all that she had left in her sanity. Perhaps one of the biggest ironies is that they both did, in fact, die with stable and clear minds.

Both victims of this historical movement passed away in their own homes, in their own beds. Both of them were surrounded by family and friends. And both of them left final thoughts with this world about the value of life.

The members of the True Compassion Advocates and the supporters of Death with Dignity have taken these two deaths and made them each examples of their own cause. John Peyton and Linda Fleming have made history, and have together established an overwhelming awareness for this cause that all thought was immense to begin with.

The push to choose sides will unfortunately not end with the sadness of the loss of these two lives, it will only intensify. As residents of Washington and citizens of the human race experience and watch this debate grow into something larger than we could have ever imagined, it will be important to remember the irony of the last words by both Peyton and Fleming. They both spoke of valuing one's choice. They both spoke volumes in dying the way they believed in their souls was the right way for them to die. As we walk down this path and have to step off to the right or the left, we should remember that it is the value of our choice that will shape the future of this act.

The fact that a supporter and an opponent of this act died on the same day in many minds is no coincidence; but rather, a moment of truth for all of us that the decisions we make and the power our votes hold can truly save lives.

Sources:

King 5 News Seattle www.king5.com

New York Times www.nytimes.com

CNN News www.cnn.com