"Why Do Americans Balk at Euthanasia Laws?"

A forum at the NYT, with 8 contributors. The one that came closest to the answer for me is: "A Recipe for Elder Abuse."

Proponents tout assisted suicide as providing “choice” over the timing of one’s death. But choice under the Oregon and Washington acts cannot be assured. For example, neither act requires witnesses at the death. Without disinterested witnesses, the opportunity is created for an heir, or someone else who will benefit from the patient’s death, to administer the lethal dose to the patient without his consent. Even if he struggled, who would know?

And if we were to go down that road, who would want to know? Another old person has moved on. That will be the overall agenda, once we settle in to the the euthanasia regime.