Citizens in Charge

There isn’t much John Peyton can do on his own except speak, and soon he’ll lose even that.

The former Boeing computer programmer has Lou Gehrig’s disease, which progressively paralyzes its victims. His doctor gives him three to six months to live.

He is using his last months to oppose a ballot initiative that would allow physicians in Washington state to help terminally ill patients end their lives. Only Oregon has such a law.

“What we’re really doing I believe, is attempting to eliminate the sufferer so we don’t have to deal with them,” Peyton said.