Contact: Greg Eddleston (503) 228.6079, geddleston@dwd.org

(Portland, OR) – Oregon Death with Dignity – the only organization in the nation that has successfully proposed, passed, and helped implement a law that allows terminally ill patients who meet stringent safeguards to hasten their death – today announced the launch of “BackOffJohn.com,” a grassroots campaign to combat John Ashcroft’s attempt to nullify the will of the voters of Oregon. The site offers Americans from all 50 states the chance to learn more about the Death with Dignity law as well as the current legal battle, and send a message to Ashcroft and the U.S. Justice Department to “Back Off!” In coming months, the site may be expanded to include other cases of intrusion by Ashcroft in matters of state and individual rights.

“Almost 1.3 million votes have been cast by Oregonians in support of the Death with Dignity law since 1994, but John Ashcroft is trying to overturn their will single-handedly,” said Scott Swenson, Executive Director of Oregon Death with Dignity. “I don’t care how many hanging chads he finds, there’s no way that 1 vote can trump 1.3 million.  He’s combined fuzzy math with fuzzy legal precedent with fuzzy principles – it’s a hat trick of hypocrisy.”

States’ Rights?  We Don’t Need No Steenkin’ States’ Rights!

However, John Ashcroft, a man who has built an entire career on the issue of states' rights and defending the people against the federal government, has now decided to take a 180-degree pivot that even Michelle Kwan would have a tough time replicating.  In order to make the decision to unilaterally overturn the Oregon Death with Dignity law, Ashcroft has had to:

Ignore 226 years of precedent that grants the prerogative of medical practice to the states;

Override two legal Oregon elections;

Overrule the 1998 decision of former Attorney General Janet Reno on this very issue;

In addition to attempting to overturn the electoral process, Ashcroft is also attempting to prevent Oregonians from blocking his decision in court. 

“Not only has he decided to overturn the election, Attorney General Ashcroft has also decided that Oregonians don’t get to have their day in court,” said Swenson.  “Between this incident and Ashcroft’s track record so far on related issues, we’ve actually started thinking of holding a fund drive to send him back to law school for a refresher course.  Or at least to give him a few spare copies of the Constitution.” 

About the Death With Dignity Law

Since its implementation in 1997, the law has been used responsibly and rarely. Contrary to opponents' claims, a consistently modest number of Oregonians have used the law as intended – an average of about 23 a year.

About Oregon Death with Dignity

Oregon Death with Dignity (www.dwd.org) is the only organization in the nation that has successfully proposed, passed, and helped implement a law that allows terminally ill patients who meet stringent safeguards, to hasten their death. Since the law went into effect in 1997, few Oregonians have utilized it, all in extreme cases of late-stage terminal illness, all with access to insurance and most in hospice care. Oregon's law is the catalyst for improved end-of-life care across the country.

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