What alarms opponents of I-1000

Duane French, one of the most outspoken opponents to this year's assisted suicide measure, Initiative 1000, called my attention to this CNN story out of Britain. He notes — and I will again — this sort of thing would be not be allowed under Washington’s initiative, which only affects the terminally ill. But this is a clear example of extending the "individual choice" argument further.

You can read a text version of the story here. Or skip below and I'll fill you in.

A British rugby player was paralyzed on the field at the age of 23. He later visited a clinic in Switzerland where he was assisted in suicide. While about 100 Britons have used Switzerland's laws, assisted suicide is illegal in Britain, and this is the first case that authorities may actually prosecute, in this instance, the parents, who helped with travel.

This is, of course, exactly what concerns French, who was paralyzed as a teenager. Here's side-by-side stories on French and a supporter of I-1000, Jonathon Turlove of Olympia.