The Olympian's opinion on I-1000

• Published September 10, 2008

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Normally I'm shooed out the door just after the candidate when our editorial board begins debate on whether to support or endorse – part of the separation of news and opinion. But today things changed when the board met in front of 150 people and TV cameras to consider I-1000, the assisted suicide measure.

The idea was to enlighten the public (in the form of the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce and TVW) on how the paper comes to its opinion-page decisions. So they got to see what reporters often see, the pitches pro and con, and then, in what was probably the first time for all of us, listened to decision making process.

The vote was 4 to 1 in favor of I-1000. The lone stand out was editorial page Editor Mike Oakland.

"For me, it is a moral issue. And as a person who believes in the sanctity and sacredness of life, I have to be on the other side of this issue," Oakland said.

Oakland also questioned supporters about the language in the initiative, using the word "may" in describing self-administrating the lethal drugs. He argued that leaves the door open for a person other than the terminally ill patient to deliver the fatal dose.

"I believe that a greedy son or daughter intent on an inheritance could … administer the drug," he said. (This is also Margaret Dore’s argument published in the Seattle Times.)

The other four members, community representatives Cheryl Fambles and Peter Reid, along with Publisher John Winn Miller and Executive Editor Vickie Kilgore, said opponents had not shown there was significant problems in Oregon, which has allowed assisted suicide for 10 years.

"There has been no documented abuse of the system. And believe me, if there was any, some one would have found it and be screaming about it now," Miller said.

It was interesting to me, of course, but also to the audience, which seemed attentive throughout the discussion.

"I found it very, what's the word – inviting, but more so. To know this was democracy working, to be able to see it, the faces. Both sides got to say what they thought," said Grace Kendall, the self-described "sign gal" of Fast Signs.

Oakland will be tasked with drafting an opinion piece supporting I-1000, on which the other board members will comment before it's published.