Decision to 'die with dignity' sparks debate: #tellusatoday

A 29-year-old woman with terminal brain cancer is advocating for "death with dignity" laws. She plans to take her own life next month in Oregon. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

I can't imagine the difficulty of making this decision. I support a person taking his or her own life rather than dealing with the pain of a terminal illness.

— Kathleen Watson

Brittany Maynard states that she is in no way suicidal, but a person taking one's own life is suicide. I understand that she may not want to live with the pain, and although the doctors state her tumor is inoperable, some people live pretty fine lives with inoperable brain tumors.

— Anna Sharpe

I work with a suicide prevention organization. I fight daily to stop suicides. This is different. Maynard is going to die. There is no help or cure. We will put down a dog if it is suffering. Let her go on her own terms. Prayers are with her and her family.

— Nick Maloney

There are significant advances in glioblastoma (the cancer Maynard has) happening right now. I would fight until I couldn't fight any more. Giving up would never be an option for me, but I respect her decision about her own health.

— Paul Allee

We asked our Twitter followers what they thought about physician-assisted suicide. Comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

Shouldn't a person be able to decide his or her fate? Shouldn't there be professional or humane ways to accomplish it?

— @dastufish

Terminally ill patients who are suffering deserve the right to end their life with dignity.

— @xoxoDana

First, do no harm! The words "physician" and "assisted suicide" should not even be in the same sentence.

— @astinos2323

I believe in physician-assisted suicide if the person is incurable and in pain, especially if the person is elderly.

— @BettyeLouise

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter.