The Oregon Health Division (OHD) reports that 27 Oregonians invoked the state’s assisted-suicide law to end their lives in 1999—11 more than in the previous year (CT, June 14, 1999, p. 66). The report suggests that poverty, poor education, lack of health insurance, or concerns about substandard care were not factors in the suicides. “The OHD again asked the wrong questions of the wrong people,” says Gregory Hamilton of Physicians for Compassionate Care, who calls the report flawed because it is based solely on information gathered from physicians or family members involved in assisted deaths.
Christian Coalition Sues IRS
The Christian Coalition (CC) is suing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), claiming the agency discriminated against the CC by removing its tax-exempt status (CT, July 12, 1999, p. 9). The suit charges the IRS with “disparate treatment” for not granting the CC the same status as several liberal political groups the cc says engage in similar practices. Interracial Dating Ban Lifted
Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, has lifted its 50-year-old ban on interracial dating. The school also says it no longer requires students to seek parental permission before dating. The decision follows a month of controversial press coverage of the school stirred by Republican presidential hopefuls.
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