ABSTRACT
In this book, we have presented a sociohistorical description of the death with dignity movement. Three functions are served by the various analytical perspectives taken in this book. First, in a limited sense, Dying Right tells the stories of intense political struggles at the ballot box and in the courts. The centerpiece of our analysis is the state of Oregon and its watershed passage of the Oregon Death With Dignity Act (ODDA) in 1994. Oregon is the only state in America where death with dignity (physician-assisted suicide) has been legalized. But Oregon does not stand alone in death with dignity
reform efforts. Reformers in Washington and California attempted ballot initiatives several years before. And during the time when implementation of the ODDA was blocked by court challenges and a repeal effort within the state of Oregon, two federal court challenges moved their way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Each of these political actions is described in great detail in this book.
