Why is the Pacific Northwest much more pro-assisted suicide than everywhere else

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's legal in Oregon of course and according to Alcon a resolution to legalize it in Washington overwhelmingly passed at his caucus. Yet a similar resolution at my caucus in one of Minnesota's most liberal districts was voted down. I doubt it'd pass a single district in the state. Washington and Oregon seem to be the only states tolerating it.

Follow-up: Why are young people so opposed? It might've actually very narrowly passed my district if it wasn't for overwhelming youth opposition (maybe). The under 30s voted virtually unanimously in opposition.

[Torie]

It's legal in Oregon of course and according to Alcon a resolution to legalize it in Washington overwhelmingly passed at his caucus. Yet a similar resolution at my caucus in one of Minnesota's most liberal districts was voted down. I doubt it'd pass a single district in the state. Washington and Oregon seem to be the only states tolerating it.

Follow-up: Why are young people so opposed? It might've actually very narrowly passed my district if it wasn't for overwhelming youth opposition (maybe). The under 30s voted virtually unanimously in opposition.

Death is just such a downer for the young to think about.

[Alcon]

Hasn't always been



Failed 54-46 in 1991...I'd be surprised if it didn't pass this year, though.

But, among other things, we're less religious and have a more "to each their own" culture.

Young areas of WA weren't overwhelmingly opposed at all, so I can't really answer to your anecdotal sample.

[opebo]

Death is just such a downer for the young to think about.

Most youths are too stupid to realize what awaits them. 

As for Washington and Oregon, they have a higher percentage of rational voters than presumably any other states.

[Meeker]

We hate our old and sickly.

[Хahar 🤔]

We hate our old and sickly.

No, you love them.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Well, I'm moving to Oregon assuming I don't just drop dead......I'm not into ME suffering.  Anyone else can do what they want.  Leave me the F alone.

[dead0man]

Suicide shouldn't be illegal.  People in serious pain that want to do it should be able to hire medical professionals to assist them in making their suicide painless.  It's sad how we treat the old, sick and depressed in this country.

[bgwah]

I'll be shocked if assisted suicide isn't passed this year. I expect 55-60% to approve.

[Albus Dumbledore]

How long will republicans complain?

[Keystone Phil]

The Northwest region is known for its high suicide rates so I guess more people are more willing to accept death.

[exopolitician]

If I lived in Seattle id kill myself too.

[Albus Dumbledore]

It's living in such a good region while realizing all their efforts to actually change things for the better are all for naught due to the presence of the bible belt as a voting block that causes this. I'm surprised suicide rates aren't this high here on the east coast.

[ChrisFromNJ]

I would assume it's due to the more secular nature of the Pacific Northwest.

[dead0man]

It's living in such a good region while realizing all their efforts to actually change things for the better are all for naught due to the presence of the bible belt as a voting block that causes this. I'm surprised suicide rates aren't this high here on the east coast.

Seriously?  You think that's why people kill themselves?  Seriously?

[bgwah]

The Northwest region is known for its high suicide rates so I guess more people are more willing to accept death.

lol, no.

[Meeker]

The Northwest region is known for its high suicide rates so I guess more people are more willing to accept death.

lol, no.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-28-depression-suicide-numbers_N.htm

#36 and #41 = Very suicidal

[bgwah]

The Northwest region is known for its high suicide rates so I guess more people are more willing to accept death.

lol, no.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-28-depression-suicide-numbers_N.htm

#36 and #41 = Very suicidal

For some reason they reversed the ranking on that. If you look at that actual rates, you will see that #1 is lowest and #51 is the highest. Thus Washington, for example, is actually 15th most suicidal.

Still, we're certainly not the #1 region for suicide, and I'm not sure where anyone would get such a silly idea.

Furthermore, I really don't know what Phil is trying to say. Most of the states with higher suicide rates, including Washington and Oregon, have very low murder rates. Hell, his city has hundreds of murders every year! That's probably more than our entire state's murders and suicides combined, and Washington is about four times bigger. Certainly people there, and in many other parts of the country, would be more used to death and "willing to accept it" than in the Northwest.

At the end of the day, the Northwest is and always has been one of the more socially libertarian areas of the country. Not to mention we are the most secular, which is another large factor I would guess.

[Meeker]

The Northwest region is known for its high suicide rates so I guess more people are more willing to accept death.

lol, no.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-28-depression-suicide-numbers_N.htm

#36 and #41 = Very suicidal

For some reason they reversed the ranking on that. If you look at that actual rates, you will see that #1 is lowest and #51 is the highest. Thus Washington, for example, is actually 15th most suicidal.

Still, we're certainly not the #1 region for suicide, and I'm not sure where anyone would get such a silly idea.

Oh, well then... your point holds though.

[Keystone Phil]

Furthermore, I really don't know what Phil is trying to say. Most of the states with higher suicide rates, including Washington and Oregon, have very low murder rates. Hell, his city has hundreds of murders every year!

Uh, murders and accepting the decision for someone to take their life are two very different ways of "accepting death."

[Alcon]

Furthermore, I really don't know what Phil is trying to say. Most of the states with higher suicide rates, including Washington and Oregon, have very low murder rates. Hell, his city has hundreds of murders every year!

Uh, murders and accepting the decision for someone to take their life are two very different ways of "accepting death."

In that case, it's ridiculous to think a majority of the population would be swayed by this - the suicide rate between Pennsylvania and Washington is 0.0111% vs. 0.0132%.  In other words, a 0.0021% difference - 1 in 47,619.

[Keystone Phil]

Furthermore, I really don't know what Phil is trying to say. Most of the states with higher suicide rates, including Washington and Oregon, have very low murder rates. Hell, his city has hundreds of murders every year!

Uh, murders and accepting the decision for someone to take their life are two very different ways of "accepting death."

In that case, it's ridiculous to think a majority of the population would be swayed by this - the suicide rate between Pennsylvania and Washington is 0.0111% vs. 0.0132%.  In other words, a 0.0021% difference - 1 in 47,619.

That's news to me.

[Alcon]

Furthermore, I really don't know what Phil is trying to say. Most of the states with higher suicide rates, including Washington and Oregon, have very low murder rates. Hell, his city has hundreds of murders every year!

Uh, murders and accepting the decision for someone to take their life are two very different ways of "accepting death."

In that case, it's ridiculous to think a majority of the population would be swayed by this - the suicide rate between Pennsylvania and Washington is 0.0111% vs. 0.0132%.  In other words, a 0.0021% difference - 1 in 47,619.

That's news to me.

Well, how common did you think suicide was...?

The difference between the lowest suicide rate (the District of Columbia - 5.3 per 100k; Alaska - 23.1) is still a difference of only about 1-in-8,333.  That hardly seems like enough to cause a regional culture difference.  Unlike, say, murder, most people aren't informed by the news of the difference in local suicide rates.  I have trouble believing acceptance of suicide could become "culturally institutionalized" at such low rates.

[Keystone Phil]

Well, how common did you think suicide was...?

I'm saying the difference between the two was news to me, smartass.

[Alcon]

Well, how common did you think suicide was...?

I'm saying the difference between the two was news to me, smartass.

But, unless suicide was much, much more common, even a humongous percentage difference wouldn't matter.  That's my point