Oscar Nominee Dies by Euthanasia in New York
Barbara Barrie, an Oscar-nominated actress, dies by euthanasia in Manhattan after terminal cancer diagnosis.
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Barbara Barrie, an Oscar-nominated actress, passed away by euthanasia in her Manhattan home after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was 95 years old, her daughter Jane Harnick confirmed.
Barrie was nominated for an Oscar in the best supporting actress category for her role in “Breaking Away” (1979), her most popular film. The comedy film follows a group of teens navigating life after graduating high school. The film, which also starred Dennis Quaid, won the Oscar that year for best original screenplay.
Barrie reprised that same role in a spinoff TV show and was nominated for an Emmy in 1981. She also won a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1964 for her performance as Julie in “One Potato, Two Potato.” She was nominated for a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical in 1971 for her role in the Stephen Sondheim show, “Company.”
Barrie is survived by her two children, daughter Jane and son Aaron Harnick. Her husband, Jay Harnick, died in 2007. In 2014, she revealed she had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that can lead to respiratory failure.
New York passed a law allowing euthanasia in February, and by the end of September, an estimated 20 patients had already received prescriptions to end their lives. New York is the 14th state, including Washington, D.C., to legalize some form of assisted suicide.
This comes as critics sound the alarm about the slippery slope of Canada’s MAID program, which was legalized in 2016 and has dramatically expanded since. The total number of assisted deaths through the program now sits at roughly 100,000. Critics argue about its ethics and the financial incentives for Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, which can save money when patients are euthanized rather than receive long-term care.
Doctors using the MAID program have also been accused of euthanizing patients who did not want to die. A recent tragedy involved a devout Christian grandmother who was reportedly killed against her wishes while her family was on vacation. Advocates for assisted suicide have also been petitioning to have the practice expanded to children, and the Netherlands has already euthanized a toddler.
Source: Daily Wire
