When suicide assistance fails ...

It is (past) time to rethink the assisted suicide law in Oregon, and perhaps new reports coming out of the "I Love You to Death" state will prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to correct its 1997 error.

On the 680News radio website, an Associated Press article, proclaiming the just awful news that it isn't always easy to kill someone.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A terminally ill cancer patient who tried to end his life with drugs prescribed under Oregon's assisted-suicide law awoke three days later, alert and talkative, his wife said.

David Prueitt, who had lung cancer, took what was believed to be a fatal dose of a barbiturate prescribed by his doctor in January. He fell into a coma within minutes, but woke up three days later, said his wife, Lynda Romig Prueitt. Prueitt's wife told The Oregonian newspaper that he asked, "Why am I not dead?"

Two weeks later he was, apparently without human assistance, which is as it should be. Oregon officials are going to review the case to see if the supervising physician erred or if the accidental revival of life was due to factors as yet not understood.

The reporter wanted to reassure us that all is well in the Culture of Death.

Complications with doctor-assisted suicides are rare. In 2001, a patient took 37 hours to die after ingesting a lethal dose, and in 2003, a patient took 48 hours to die. Neither regained consciousness.

That makes at least 3 "problem" cases out of 170. Likely there are more we have not heard about. Even at that rate there is a 1.75% chance that a euthanized patient will linger, perhaps in greater pain that they are unable to complain about. It's terribly undignified, and one can imagine it takes a huge psychological toll on any relatives who happen to be hanging around for The End.

We are pessimistic that the Supremes will perform any better a second time around, but we can pray for God's intervention and would urge you to do the same. It would be a simple miracle: tweak one or two courtly consciences just enough to have solid misgivings over this horrific mess in the Pacific Northwest.