Gorsuch's views on assisted suicide under fire

SUICIDE IS A BIG ISSUE.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA IS OUT FRONT.
>> YOU MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT
THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR
HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE
END OF SOMEONE'S LIFE,
ENCOURAGING THE END OF LIFE.
>> I'VE BEEN THERE WITH MY DAD.
OK.
AND OTHERS.
AND AT SOME POINT YOU WANT TO BE
LEFT ALONE.
ENOUGH WITH THE POKING AND THE
PRODDING.
I WANT TO GO HOME AND DIE IN MY
OWN BED IN THE ARMS OF MY
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: IT'S NOT AN EASY
ISSUE FOR ANYONE.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER ENDING
YOUR LIFE WITH A DOCTOR'S
ASSISTANCE?
FIVE STATES AND D.C. HAVE
LEGALIZED IT BUT SUPREME COURT
NOMINEE NEAL GORSUCH IS AGAINST
IT ACCORDING TO HIS 2006 BOOK,
THE FUTURE OF ASSISTED SUICIDE
AND EUTHANASIA.
HE MAKES THE CASE THAT "ALL
HUMAN BEINGS ARE INTRINSICALLY
VALUABLE AND THE INTENTIONAL
TAKING OF A HUMAN LIFE BY
PRIVATE PERSONS IS ALWAYS
WRONG."
>> I OPEN UP THE DAY AND START
MY MEDICINES.
>> MATT FAIRCHILD COULDN'T
DISAGREE MORE.
HE'S NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT
THIS ISSUE.
HE'S LICHLG IT.
IN MATT'S CASE, METASTATIC
MELANOMA SPREAD EVERYWHERE,
INCLUDING HIS BRAIN.
>> ONCE IT'S IN THERE, IT'S A
FIRE PROOF SAFE.
MAINLY, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID,
THERE'S AT LEAST THREE KINDS OF
NARCOTIC MEDICATION.
>> Reporter: MAKE NO MISTAKE.
MATT HAS NOT GIVEN UP.
IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE
MEDICATIONS, HE'S ENDURED 38
ROUNDS OF THE DRUG THAT
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER CREDITS
FOR GIVING HIM REMISSION FROM
MELANOMA.
>> WHEN I WENT THIS WEEK THEY
DIDN'T FIND ANY CANCER AT ALL.
>> Reporter: FOR MATT, LIKE
EVERYTHING ELSE HE'S TAKEN, IT
DIDN'T WORK.
>> I'M OPEN TO MIRACLES AND
SPECIAL THINGS AND GREAT STUFF.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU EXPECT FOR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: NOW HE WANTS THE
ABILITY TO END HIS LIFE
PEACEFULLY WITH DIGNITY ON HIS
OWN TERMS.
>> RIGHT NOW IT'S MAINLY MAKING
MATT AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: WHEN MATT AND HIS
WIFE GINGER FIRST MET, THEY HAD
NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THE IDEA OF
AID IN DYING.
THE FORMER ARMY SOLDIER HAS BEEN
FORCED TO LEARN MORE THAN HE
EVER IMAGINED.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHY ME?
>> NEVER ONCE.
>> NEVER EVER DID, NEVER.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S NO -- THERE'S
A 40-YEAR-OLD HAS CANCER
SOMEWHERE AND THEY DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING TO ANYBODY.
>> Reporter: BRITTANY MENARD
BROUGHT THE RIGHT TO DIE ISSUE
INTO THE FORE FRONT.
>> I DON'T HAVE TO DIE THE
CONVEY IT WOULD TAKE ME ON ITS
OWN.
>> Reporter: BEFORE HER DEATH
THE COUNTRY WAS ALMOST
EVENLYSPLIT.
JUST A FEW YEARS LATER NOW, 68%
IN FAVOR.
28% AGAINST.
BRITTANY'S HUSBAND DAN DIAZ WAS
BY HER SIDE FROM THE MOMENT THEY
FIRST MET UNTIL BRITTANY TOOK
THEIR LAST BREATH.
>> HOW YOU DOING?
>> I'M DOING OK.
I HAVE DAYS THAT ARE KIND OF
SOMBER.
I MISS HER A LOT BUT I THINK AN
HER ALL THE TIME.
>> Reporter: DAN REMEMBERS THE
DAY SHE FOUND OUT THE MOST
AGGRESSIVE BRAIN CANCER THERE
IS.
>> YOU WANT TO HAVE COMPASSION.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
CAN NOT HAVE PEOPLE SUFFER BUT
ALSO STRIKING THAT BALANCE WITH
HOPE.
WE TALKED ABOUT, OK, WHAT IF
THAT MIRACLE CURE IS JUST AROUND
THE CORNER?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
AND HOW DO WE GET HER TO THAT
POINT?
>> THERE IS ALSO THE REALITY
THAT, WELL, WE HAVE TO LIVE IN
THAT DAY.
>> Reporter: AFTER A SEIZURE ON
NOVEMBER 1ST, 2014, BRITTANY
DECIDED IT WOULD BE HER LAST
DAY.
>> WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF TAKING
THAT MEDICATION, BRITTANY FELL
ASLEEP JUST LIKE I'VE SEEN HER
DO A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE.
>> Reporter: OPPONENTS STILL CRY
FOUL.
WORRIED THAT LAWS LIKE THIS WILL
ULTIMATELY PREY ON THE DISABLED,
THE POOR, THE UNINSURED, PEOPLE
WHO ARE MORE LIKELY CHOOSE DEATH
MORE THAN PAY TO FIGHT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> Reporter: MATT IS SUFFERING
EVERY DAY FROM HIS CANCER AND
ALSO STRUGGLING WITH THE
DECISION.
A DECISION THAT HITS CLOSE TO
HOME FOR JUDGE GORSUCH.
>> SUPPOSING YOU CANNOT HANDLE
THE PAIN?
AND YOU KNOW THAT IT'S
IRRECONCILABLE?
>> SENATOR, THE POSITION I TOOK
IN THE BOOK ON THAT WAS ANYTHING
NECESSARY TO ALLEVIATE PAIN
WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND
ACCEPTABLE, EVEN IF IT CAUSED
DEATH.
NOT INTENTIONALLY BUT KNOWINGLY.
OK.
I'D RELY ON INTENT AND
KNOWINGLY.

Gorsuch's views on assisted suicide under fire

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