Right to Die and Brittany Maynard

This article tells the story of a bill that was inspired by Brittany Maynard, a woman from East Bay who decided to take her life after being diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.

This was a complex story that received a lot of mixed reviews. Some people believe people should have the right to die comfortably at home; some not so much. The article was well-balanced in their coverage and the way they represented both sides of the story; it focused on the legislative side of things and used Maynard's decision as a way to shed light on the perspective of those who agree with the bill.

One of my biggest critiques of this article was the fact that comments were not disabled. As I mentioned previously, this is an incredibly complex story and the issue at large is proving to be incredibly controversial. While I think it's important for people to be able to reflect on this piece of legislation and the decision of those who choose to take their lives, people often forget that this is still about a person, it's about people. People were quick to criticize the decision Maynard made, as well as the decision her family made to support her. These kinds of comments can be incredibly harmful to the loved ones of the individual who died by suicide, and it really isn't appropriate to allow conversation to take place on the article link itself. There are other places to vent frustration or disagreement about this decision and this bill, and everyone who has an opinion needs to be sensitive about the audience. 

I remember hearing about this case before I enrolled in this class. I had mixed opinions about it, as many people do. Now that I've spent an extended period of time learning how to cover suicide and what to remember when doing so, I'm still kind of torn. It's an important story to tell- it's a significant piece of legislation that has stirred up a lot of conversation. But I can't help but think about the idea of how this article glamorizes suicide, or how people might see it that way.

It's described as being a way for those suffering from a terminal illness to pass comfortably in their home. Does that send a message that people who are ill shouldn't fight? Or does it shed light on the idea of not suffering, and instead spending their remaining days surrounded by loved ones? I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I very much respect the professionalism of the narrative and how the piece shared multiple perspectives on the situation.