Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Scots Disability Groups Continue Opposition To Assisted suicide


The disability groups are keeping up their pressure against possible legalization of assisted suicide. Good for them, because, indeed, they would be one of the first groups susceptible to medicalized killing.
Disability group warns suicide bill 'wrong way'
Disability campaigners yesterday warned MSPs that proposals to legalise assisted suicide will make "death a better choice". They told a special Holyrood committee set up to look into Independent MSP Margo MacDonald's bill that it would take Scotland down the "wrong route".
Ms MacDonald, who has Parkinson's disease, wants to change the law that leaves Scots open to prosecution for culpable homicide. But Pam Duncan of the disability group Inclusion Scotland hit out at the proposal.
She said parliament and local council body Cosla had signed up to a "vision for Scotland" to give disabled people more control over their lives. "That requires that we set up structures to support that - not that we make death a better choice. more

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Oregon Pro-Deather Lies About Their Law


Every now and again, the pro-deathers let their guard down and lie. Just outright lie. And the media laps it up. Here’s an Oregonian telling the Aussies that they should follow Oregon’s assisted suicide law guidelines because they’re so peachy. Uh-huh. The Oregon law has so many loopholes that it’s quite possible that some people have been murdered instead of being helped to “die with dignity.” Will anyone notice? Not likely, unfortunately.
Look how we do it in Oregon, the ethics guardian tells Gillard
BARBARA GLIDEWELL has had hundreds of conversations with dying people who want to end their own life, or want the option to do so. And she wants the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to know it is entirely possible to formulate a law with appropriate safeguards.
Associate Professor Glidewell is an ethics adviser and recently retired hospital ombudsman from Oregon where physician-aided death has been allowed for almost 13 years. She has overseen the consultation process for roughly half the physician-assisted deaths under Oregon's Death With Dignity Act.
''The law has worked well,'' she said. ''Oregon has been too quiet about it; we didn't want hordes moving to the state.'' more

Scottish MP Trashes People With Disabilities Protesting Her Pro-Death Bill


Watch the TV report about people with disabilities protesting Scotland’s proposed assisted sucide legislation. Watch how Scottish MP Margo Macdonald, who is sponsoring the bill, responds. Truth hurts, apparently.
Protest while MSPs discuss proposed assisted suicide bill
Campaigners have been protesting outside the Scottish Parliament against the proposed assisted suicide Bill.
Members of Inclusion Scotland say Margo Macdonald's End of Life Bill discriminates against disabled people and contradicts the independent living agenda. They were protesting as evidence about the bill was being heard inside the parliament. more

Pro-Deathers Claim Killings Already Happening In Canada

These guys never quit (we can learn from that). Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke is bragging that although still illegal, people in Canada have started using his methods, and that others are planning to do so. Gee, aren’t we lucky?
At least two Canadians have followed controversial doctor's advice on suicide
The methods of a controversial Australian doctor who advocates assisted suicide - and is planning to offer instructions on how to do it in Toronto and Vancouver next month - have already been used in Canada.
At least two Canadians have already died and five more have made preparations following the instructions of Philip Nitschke, according to the physician and an independent researcher familiar with the cases. more

Monday, September 27, 2010

Scotland's Disability Community Opposes Assisted Suicide Bill


The disability community in Scotland is starting to firm up opposition to Scotland’s proposed legalization of assisted sucide. This is crucial because of the way the bill is worded.
Disability group to protest against assisted suicide bill
A disability campaign group is to protest tomorrow against a Scottish assisted suicide bill, declaring that disabled people want assistance to live.
Inclusion Scotland is demonstrating outside the Scottish Parliament from 9.30am against the controversial End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill which is spearheaded by Margo MacDonald MSP. more

Isle Of Man Invaded By The Pro-Deathers


So now the Isle of Man is starting to “debate” euthanasia, and the pro-deathers are promising a “balanced debate.” Uh-huh.
Manx meeting discusses euthanasia
A meeting will be held in the Isle of Man to discuss the controversial issue of euthanasia.
The event, arranged by the Positive Action group, aims to present a balanced argument for and against the idea of assisted death.
The guest speaker for the evening is Jo Cartwright, the Campaigns & Press Officer of UK Charity Dignity in Dying. more

British Medical Association Opposes Assisted Suicide


As the debate over assisted suicide rages in the Scottish Parliament, the British medical Association in Scotland has come out opposed to the killing of their patients. Good for them.
BMA Scotland opposed to legalising assisted suicide
The majority of doctors are steadfastly opposed to the legalisation of assisted suicide in Scotland, the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland has warned.
The End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Margo MacDonald MSP, would allow the terminally ill and people who are “permanently physically incapacitated” to seek assistance in ending their lives. more

Pro-Death Spin At It's Finest


Earlier this week, I reported the death of Aussie Dr. John Pollock, a life-long advocate of euthanasia, whose message took on added power when he was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Here’s a TV report from Aussie about Pollock. Note how slant towards the legalization of euthanasia, especially at the end, where the viewers quoted are all in favor. Also, it’s worth noting that Pollock didn’t die via assisted suicide or euthanasia, but naturally, surrounded by his loving family.

Mothers Refusing To Bow To Genetic Discrimination - Good!


On the surface refusing pre-natal testing seems a little off – unless you know that because of this testing, there is now widespread genetic discrimination against those with genetic anomalies, most often those diagnosed in-utero with Down Syndrome, 90% of which become terminated pregnancies.
WHY PRENATAL TESTING HARMS AS MUCH AS IT HELPS
My pregnancy has been an easy one. No morningsickness, more than ample weight gain, minimal aches and pains and good rest. Yet as my husband, Peter, and I walked into the doctor’s office for our first prenatal appointment, I said, “I am dreading this visit.”
Our daughter, who is now 4½, has Down syndrome. She was born when I was 28. Although there is no known cause for Down syndrome (the presence of an extra 21st chromosome), as soon as I conceived Penny, my chances of having another baby with Down syndrome increased significantly, from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100. Those chances only increase further as I age. more

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Slap To Washington Assisted Suicide Pro-Deathers


Here’s the brutal truth about assisted suicide, a slap in the face to the Washington State pro-deathers.
Suicide like execution
It’s been a year since my uncle opted for assisted suicide. To me it’s an excruciating anniversary. He talked about this for a year before it became law. He’d had surgery for cancer which left him with a catheter. He was depressed at 94 but was home with assistance from friends and health givers. I thought this could never happen because he was just old and depressed. more

Sanity From One Aussie Politician


Good, very good. A senior Aussie politician can’t see how euthanasia could possibly be legalized. Wait for the pro-deathers to crucify her. Trust me, I’m a doctor!!
Euthanasia laws seem impossible: PM
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has doubts about how legalised euthanasia would work, saying it is almost impossible to imagine. more

Yes, By All Means: Let's Think Denial Is An Egyptian River


Ah, yes, let’s talk about euthanasia without those pesky Nazis and doctors with needles . . . Naivete, as much as anything else, will lead them like lambs to the slaughter.
Help ease the pain of dying by ensuring an exit is within reach
It wasn't the economy, national broadband, refugees or other "bread and butter" issues that animated the eight women I overheard last week in a lakeside cafe in rural Queensland. In their late 50s and 60s, the women were talking about euthanasia.
They avoided the ugly word that conjures images of Nazis, dead cats, and doctors with syringes. But how to die with dignity was on their mind. "I wish the politicians would get on with it," one said. Another replied, "Don't wait for them, when the time comes just do it." more

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Pro-Deathers Try To Air Euthanasia Ad In Canada


Yes, as I mentioned below, the pro-deathers aren’t exactly the lie-down-and-die types. Their pro-death ad was banned in Aussie, so they took it to Canada, where, of course, the euthanasia debate is raging. So far it’s been banned, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Assisted suicide ad banned in Canada
An organization that promotes assisted suicide is considering legal action after Canadian regulators refused to allow one of its TV ads to be broadcast.
An Australian-based organization that promotes assisted suicide is considering legal action after Canadian regulators refused to allow one of its advertisements to be broadcast in Canada. more

Aussie Euthanasia Bill Defeated - Way To Go!!


Good, sanity prevails in Aussie with defeat of the euthanasia bill. Pro-deathers 0, opponents 1. BUT don’t be complacent, they’ll be back next year, trust me.
‘Dangerous’ Australian euthanasia bill defeated
A euthanasia bill in Western Australia which would have “turned doctors from being healers and carers into killers” has been defeated. more

Another UK Call To Make Killing OK


Well, here we go again. Loving wife commits suicide. Grieving family blame the UK law that punishes assisted suicide. This is what we have come to: Wanting to legalize killing so people won’t have to kill themselves alone. Very, very dark, I’m afraid.
Former England cricketer criticises assisted suicide laws that forced wife to die alone
Michelle Broad, 60, was open to family and friends about her plan to end her life if she got sufficiently ill.
However she refused to tell her husband how she intended to do it to avoid him being implicated in any potentially criminal acts.
Chris Broad, the former England cricketer, has criticised the laws over assisted suicide which meant his wife, who killed herself over her advancing Motor Neurone Disease, had to die alone. more

"Savior Siblings:" Soon We'll Be Using Them As Spare Part Humans


If you’ve never heard of “savior siblings” it refers to parents who deliberately produce another child to use, almost as a spare-part source, a previously born child with some serious disorder. In this case, all that was used was the cord blood from the second child – but who’s to say the next time it might be a kidney, or a liver . . .  or a heart??
'Savior sibling' raises a decade of  life-and-death questions
Ten years ago a little girl from Colorado made medical history when her parents and her  doctor at the University of Minnesota used genetic screening to create a baby that could save her life.
Now, 16 years old and back in Minnesota for her 10-year checkup, Molly Nash is unimpressed that her little brother -- her irritating little brother -- became a "savior sibling" by giving her his umbilical cord blood -- the sole reason she's alive today to back sass her parents. more

Aussie Health Minister Admits Administering Euthanasia


Yikes – Aussie Health Minister admits to killing patients. Oh, sorry, easing pain that resulted in death. Uh-huh.
I sped up death: Deputy Premier Kim Hames
WESTERN Australia's euthanasia debate has taken an unexpected twist.
Health Minister and Deputy Premier Kim Hames has admitted that as a GP he administered painkillers that had hastened a cancer patient's death.
Dr Hames said yesterday what he had done was legal and not the same as euthanasia, which he opposed, because the medication had been intended to ease a patient's suffering rather than end their life. more

Friday, September 24, 2010

Marketing Euthanasia In Aussie

Here's the banned Aussie euthanasia TV ad and sponsored, of course, by Aussie Dr. Death Phil Nietschke. God help us all.

Physician, Heal (Sorry, KILL) Thyself


I take no joy in a pro-deather dying. However, I would note for the record that here’s a pro-euthanasia doctor who chose to die naturally, and NOT by euthanasia. Case of do what I say, not what I do, I think.
Euthanasia doctor dies
Dr John Pollock, the doctor who reignited the euthanasia debate in recent months, has died.
He died peacefully at home last night, with his family. He was 61. more

Yikes! Many Aussie Docs Favor Euthanasia


If you live in Aussie, you better have a little heart-to-heart with your doctor. He or she might just be among the 40% or so of doctors who think killing people who are tired of life is OK.
Euthanasia survey finds support among Adelaide's GPs
MORE than four in 10 South Australian doctors think people aged over 70 who are "tired of life" should have access to euthanasia, Exit International says. more

Swiss Answer To Assisted Suicide - Regulate


Ah, gotta love the Swiss!! They’re taking some heat because of the notoriety of the Swiss death-clinic Dignitas. But, a survey says most Swiss are OK with people being killed when they or others think their lives aren’t worth living. How to proceed? Well REGULATE, of course. Uh-huh – regulation worked really well in the Netherlands.
Government wants rules for assisted suicide
The cabinet wants to specify the responsibilities of employees of assisted suicide organisations as part of a draft law.
The justice ministry said it was mandated to revise specific nationwide regulations in response to numerous objections raised during the consultation procedure. more

Thursday, September 23, 2010

First They Came For People With Disabilities. . .


Good. Disability advocates have succeeded in getting the proposed Scottish assisted suicide bill to drop provisions that it applies to people with disabilities. Gee, why was it there in the first place? Could it be that we’re (again) trying to kill off those who are different. Nah, couldn’t possibly be, could it?
MSP drops disabled clause from assisted suicide bill
A proposal to allow disabled people in Scotland to kill themselves is set to be dropped following pressure from disability campaigners.
Bill Scott, Policy Officer at the campaign group Inclusion Scotland, welcomed the decision, saying: “That clause was dangerous, particularly at a time of cutbacks, to say to people you can’t live independently but you can apply for state-assisted suicide as if it’s a way out. more

Ah, You See, It's Not Murder, It's Pain Relief!! Yeah, Sure . . .


Wanna see the sinister evil of euthanasia? Read this whole piece. A health minister says he’s opposed to euthanasia, but then euthanatizes a patient. He says he was relieving pain, and that a side-effect was death. Uh-huh. If this hogwash holds, then all those people who are suddenly murdering others and claiming they were putting them out of their misery should go free.
Health Minister Hames helped patient die
As the euthanasia bill is debated in the West Australian parliament, state Health Minister Dr Kim Hames has revealed he helped a terminally ill patient die with a lethal dose of morphine. . . . .
Speaking to ABC radio on Wednesday, Dr Hames, who is opposed to euthanasia, said he had helped a patient pass away by issuing a strong dose of morphine. . . . .
"What I did was give pain relief, and the side effect of that pain relief resulted in that patient dying then rather than in half an hour's time," he said.
"That's very different to me putting in a drip and administering a concoction of drugs deliberately to take the life of that patient." more

Pro-Deather Exoo Isn't So Brave After All


Good, very good. George Exoo, who announced a week or so ago that he wanted to open and assisted suicide clinic in North Carolina, has backed off. Why? Because of the immediate opposition outcry. He says the vocal opposition has been a nightmare – as well it should be, because the only place that assisted suicide & euthanasia belong is in nightmares – the ones we wake up from, relieved that they are harmless and quickly forgotten.
Assisted suicide plan shelved
Only days after going public, an internationally known right-to-die advocate says he's calling off plans to open a center for assisted suicide in Gastonia. . . . .But last week, after newspaper and TV reports generated "nasty" website comments from the public, Exoo said he's abandoning his plans. "It's been a nightmare," he said. more

Aussie Doctors Opposed To Assisted Suicide Already Caving In?


Well, yes, once you legalize assisted suicide there’s no going back. What’s more interesting in this story is that doctors opposing assisted suicide are already seeking a “conscience clause” allowing them to opt out of killing people if assisted suicide becomes legal in Aussie. My take is that they know that sooner or later, legal it will be, and they want to be sure that they’re not forced to help people kick the bucket.
Docs in ‘no going back’ suicide fear
DOCTORS leaders yesterday warned there will be "no going back" if the law is changed to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.
They also called for conscientious objectors among the medical profession to be allowed to "opt out" of the process. more

Pro-Deathers Know How To Use Media


We need to learn from the pro-deathers. As soon as there’s anything that even vaguely goes their way (like here, where the assisted suicide debate has been reignited in Aussie) they jump into the media to applaud the “victory.” We need to do the same on our side.
Dying With Dignity happy euthanasia back on agenda
Dignity group are pleased the euthanasia debate has resumed.
Their statements come after Australian Greens leader Bob Brown proposed that the rights of territory governments to legalise euthanasia be restored.
''They're taking the first steps so the issue is able to be debated again. It's keeping the matter in the public,'' member of DWD Barbara Morison said. more

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Official Swiss Push-Back To Assisted Suicide


Well, well, well. Looks like the Swiss Government is tired of death-clinic Dignitas giving the country a bad pro-deather name. Seems like there’s some official push-back starting. Better late than never, I guess.
Government wants rules for assisted suicide
The cabinet wants to specify the responsibilities of employees of assisted suicide organisations as part of a draft law.
The justice ministry said it was mandated to revise specific nationwide regulations in response to numerous objections raised during the consultation procedure.
At the same time the interior ministry is to present its proposals for boosting suicide prevention and palliative care. more

Murderers Now Calling Themselves Suicide Assisters


This is a disturbing trend that seems to be increasing: As society becomes more aware of what assisted suicide is, murderers are using assisted suicide as a defense. Gee, who woulda thunk it??
Man charged in killing says it was assisted suicide
A man who told police he used a nylon strap to strangle another man because the man had asked for help committing suicide was charged Thursday with first-degree murder.
According to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court, Joshua S. Stattman, 32, told police that he "had no moral qualms about what he had done" and that the victim had been "ready" to end his life. more

Pressure Mounts For Ontario Euthanasia Hearings


Now that the Quebec euthanasia hearings are underway, there’s pressure from the pro-deathers to have similar hearings in Ontario.
Ontario. No euthanasia debate, McGuinty says
Dalton McGuinty has ruled out a Quebec-style discussion of euthanasia and other end-of-life issues despite strong signs of support from aging Ontarians. more

Interesting Take On The Quebec Euthanasia Hearings


Here’s a very interesting take on what’s really going on as the Quebec euthanasia hearings continue.
Quebec's collective depression
Quebec's roving public consultations on euthanasia and assisted suicide began on Sept. 7, and wrap up at the end of this week.
Euthanasia has become something of a cultural fetish in Quebec. Films, plays and TV series portray the suffering who seek out euthanasia or assisted suicide as our new spiritual nobility. Former PQ MNA Jean-Pierre Charbonneau proudly remarked last week, in response to the observation that Quebec is the only province engaged in official encouragement of euthanasia: "It's proof that Quebec is distinct!"
Some distinction. And no more boast-worthy than Quebec's higher suicide rate relative to the rest of Canada. more

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Murder & Assisted Suicide - Tell Me Again How They're Different?


Sorry, I’m confused here. This woman is charged with murder, yet what she did is EXACTLY how assisted suicide happens. Here, the husband wanted to die. Wife provided the gun. He picked it up and shot himself in the head. In assisted suicide, the pro-deathers make a big fuss that the victim must have the physical strength to take the poison, etc., form an “assister.” How are these two circumstance s different, pray do tell?
Woman charged after husband kills self with gun she gave him
MIAMI — Tired of their bickering and her husband's complaints that he wanted to die, an exasperated Cutler Bay woman asked him if he wanted his pistol.
Yes, he replied -- so she fetched the weapon from another room and tossed it on the couch next to him, police said.
Then he shot himself, fatally, in the head. more

Here's The Brutality Of Euthanasia Posing As Love & Compassion


Here is the brutality of euthanasia posing as heroic and kind act. It pulls out all the usual suspects: lack of dignity, loss of quality of life, asking to die, being a prisoner in her own body, etc., etc.  So the Netherlands caved again, and established legal precedent by euthanizing someone who was unable to sign legal documents requesting the killing. Don’t worry; pretty soon, they’ll be killing people - just because they cxan. Oh, and BTW, the report states that Annie was depressed – but there’s absolutely no indication that anyone bothered to treat her depression, or, for that matter, to provide her with a communication device to replace her speech lost in a debilitating stroke.
Annie did it her way
Holocaust survivor Annie Kalman wins her final battle over right to die. After her euthanasia case sets legal precedent in Europe, her son seeks to change Israeli law. 'A person has the right to end his life with dignity, with grace,' he says. more

Margaret Somerville Warns The Aussies About Legit Euthanasia


Here’s a report of Canadian ethicist Margaret Somerville warning the Aussies of what legalizing euthanasia will mean. Whenever you see comments by Somerville, read them – urgently.
South Australians told euthansia law will make patients too fearful to access care
LEGALISED euthanasia can leave people too frightened to go to hospital, a medical ethicist said yesterday as an unlikely alliance formed in the latest bid to make euthanasia legal in South Australia.
Dr Margaret Somerville, founding director of Canada's McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law, told a palliative care conference in Adelaide that in the Netherlands, where euthanasia is allowed, some people refuse to go to hospital. more

More Aussie Opposition To Euthanasia


Here’s more opposition to the legalization of euthanasia in Aussie. It’s perfectly reasoned & reasonable. Watch the pro-deathers paint opposition to their killing fetish as crazed right-wing-religious-crank nonsense. Trust me.
Vulnerable sick and elderly at risk if SA euthanasia bill passed
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today called on South Australian parliamentarians to reject the euthanasia bill being introduced into the Lower House by Labor MP Steph Key today, saying that, if passed, the legislation would put the lives of vulnerable sick and elderly South Australians at risk.
ACL SA/Victorian Director Rob Ward said that the introduction of legalised euthanasia has been rejected on six separate occasions by the SA Parliament since 1995 – including as recently as November last year. Euthanasia legislation was also rejected in Tasmania last year and in Victoria in 2008. more

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Mmmm . . . Might Suicide Be Narcissistic?


Gee, who’da thunk? The more you believe in something bigger than yourself, the less likely you are to want to kill yourself.
Swiss losing their religion are more suicidal
Researchers at Bern and Zurich universities have found that suicide rates are lower among people with an affiliation to one of Switzerland’s recognised churches.
Based on the 2000 census, there were 39 suicides for every 100,000 inhabitants with no church affiliation. In comparison, the figures for Protestants and Catholics were 28.5 and 19.7 respectively.
The researchers from the universities’ social and preventive medicine institutes added that the Catholic Church’s condemnation of both suicide and assisted suicide may play a role in the low rate among Catholics. more

Even More Scottish Opposition To The Pro-Deathers


In Scotland, right after doctors came out in opposition to the proposed pro-death legislation, here comes the nursing push-back.
Nurses in Scotland Revolt Against Suicide Bill
Nurses in Scotland yesterday cautioned that if the much controversial Margo MacDonald's assisted suicide bill is passed, the place would become a suicide destination for tourists.
If Ms. MacDonald is successful in her bid, then Scotland would become the first in the UK where potentially ill patients have the right to end their own lives. more

More Scottish Medical Opposition To Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia


More Scottish medicos opposing proposed assisted suicide legislation. Good for them.
Doctors warning over assisted suicide law change
SOME doctors could become specialists in assisted suicide if a proposed change in the law is passed, MSPs have heard.
Hospice chiefs warned the measure could "inhibit" dialogue with terminally-ill patients amid fears they could be seen as directing people towards assisted suicide. more

UK Pro-Deather Wannabe Busted


The UK’s Ray Gosling was applauded by the pro-deathers for coming out and publicly declaring that he killed his AIDS affected partner, purportedly as an act of mercy. Whether killing is ever “merciful” is beside this point – because Gosling lied to snatch some of the pro-deather limelight. Pitiful.
BBC presenter avoids jail for false AIDS killing claim
LONDON — A court handed a veteran broadcaster a suspended 90-day jail sentence Tuesday for wasting police time after he falsely claimed in a TV documentary that he killed an ex-lover who had AIDS.
BBC presenter Ray Gosling was arrested for murder in February after making the on-screen confession, which stirred up a media storm at a time when Britain was locked in an intense debate over assisted suicide. more

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Reasoned Opposition To Aussie Pro-Deathers


Here’s a reasoned piece about why assisted suicide/euthanasia shouldn’t be legalized in Aussie.
NT euthanasia law should be left to rest in peace
Federal and Territory politicians should consider the multiple rejections of euthanasia legislation in jurisdictions across Australia in recent years, according to the Australian Christian Lobby’s Northern Territory Director Tristan Hatcher.
Greens Leader Bob Brown is again seeking to leverage the NT Assembly to further his radical social agenda by moving to have the Commonwealth’s anti-euthanasia laws overturned. more

Aussie Pro-Deathers Angry About Banned Ad - Too Bad


Ho-hum. As I reported a few days ago, the Aussie pro-deathers led by the ghoulish Philip Nitschke tried to run pro-death ads on Aussie TV and were prevented from doing so. They’re outraged. Too bad, IMO.
Outrage over euthanasia ad ban
SUNSHINE Coast advocates of voluntary euthanasia are outraged an advertisement calling for governments to rethink their stance on the controversial issue has been banned from TV.
The advertisement was given the axe by classification body CAD (Commercials Advice) on the grounds it related to “promotion or encouragement of suicide”. more

Scottish Medical Opposition To Legalizing Assisted Suicide


It’s good to see, as in Quebec, that many medical professionals are urging Scottish MPs to reject proposals to legalize assisted suicide.
Doctors warning over assisted suicide law change
SOME doctors could become specialists in assisted suicide if a proposed change in the law is passed, MSPs have heard.
Hospice chiefs warned the measure could "inhibit" dialogue with terminally-ill patients amid fears they could be seen as directing people towards assisted suicide. more

 

Canadian MP Pushing Legal Euthanasia Has Cancer


As we know, the world is full or irony, both good and bad. I’m very sorry to hear that Quebec MP Francine Lalonde has bone cancer that will effectively end her political career. No word as to whether she’ll use her medical condition to push for legalized euthanasia in Canada, where, in Quebec at least, she has been the main protagonist of just that.
Bloc MP Francine Lalonde has cancer
Veteran Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde has announced she won't run in the next federal election because she has bone cancer.
The 70-year-old said the cancer she battled a few years ago has returned and is progressing rapidly. more

Monday, September 13, 2010

Oregon Has Taught That All Suicide IS OK


Suicide is out of control in Oregon – I’m shocked I tell you!! Now let’s see, the state prides itself on being the first to make assisted suicide legal, thereby legitimating a previous social taboo. Why wouldn’t the message be that suicide, assisted or otherwise, is OK?
Oregon Suicide Rate Tops U.S., By Far
SALEM, Ore. -- Oregon's suicide rate is a stunning 35 percent higher than the national average, a new state report out Thursday said.
The Oregon rate is 15.2 suicides per 100,000 people, compared to the national rate of 11.3 per 100,000.
After decreasing in the 1990s, suicide rates have been increasing significantly since 2000, according to a new report, "Suicides in Oregon: Trends and Risk Factors," from Oregon Public Health.
The report also details recommendations to prevent the number of suicides in the state. more

Clueless German Press Thinks Assisted Suicide Is Euthanasia

OK, here’s why the press does such harm to our cause and aids and abets the pro-deathers: A story of a prominent German couple who went to Dignitas in Switzerland and were killed via assisted suicide NOT voluntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia ia when someone requests euthanasia and is then killed, usually by a doctor. Assisted sucide is when someone helps another commit suicide. Assisted suicide is what this story’s about.
Report: German Flick industrialist died by voluntary euthanasia
Berlin - A former German industrialist who was at the centre of one of West Germany's biggest political scandals died alongside his wife through voluntary euthanasia in a Swiss clinic, media reports said Saturday.
The daughter of Eberhard von Brauchitsch was reported by the news magazine Focus as saying her father and mother Helga had decided to end their own lives.
"Due to the rapid deterioration of their health, my parents took this step into consideration - and then took the step at an appropriate time for them," daughter Bettina von Brauchitsch said.
The couple died on Thursday, and news of their death was first made known the following day. Eberhard von Brauchitsch was 83.
Voluntary euthanasia is a controversial practice whereby patients with terminal illnesses are aided in causing their own death. It is illegal in most European countries. more

Doctor Power: WE Know What's Best For You, So Shut Up


I missed this when it first came out, but this is exactly why we need to be constantly vigilant. This article is an exemplar of what I call doctor power. Where doctors actually ignore the wishes of the patient and their families and legal proxies – just because. Douglas DeGuerre’s medical records absolutely stipulated that all measures be taken to keep him alive. Guess what? The doctors ignored that legal directive and let him die in front of his distraught daughter.
Lawsuit could set precedent about end-of-life decisions
Joy Wawrzyniak's face is reflected in a photograph of her father, Douglas (Dude) DeGuerre. She is suing Sunnybrook hospital and two doctors, alleging they failed to try to save DeGuerre's life despite the family's wishes.
As her father lay struggling for breath in a Toronto hospital bed, Joy Wawrzyniak pleaded with doctors to intervene and save his life.
Medical staff instead stood back and allowed the World War II veteran to die, against his wishes and to the shock of his daughter, Wawrzyniak claims in a stunning $1 million lawsuit filed this week against Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and two doctors responsible for her father’s care.
While Wawrzyniak and her father, Douglas (Dude) DeGuerre, had repeatedly requested he receive life-saving treatment in case of a medical emergency, doctors unilaterally overruled those wishes without consent or consultation, the lawsuit claims. more

Canadian Pro-Deathers Show Their True Colors


As the Canadian euthanasia hearings continued last week, the pro-deathers started to show their colors by whining that the hearings ere being sidetracked by other groups calling for better palliative care and more hospital resources for palliative care. Well, that’s not what the pro-deathers want to talk abut, because it’s a rational and sensible alternative to killing.
Euthanasia debate straying off course: group
Quebec's public hearings into assisted suicide continued in Montreal Wednesday, with an appearance by the president of the Right to Die With Dignity Association, among others.
Quebec's public hearings into assisted suicide continued in Montreal Wednesday, with an appearance by the president of the Right to Die With Dignity Association, among others.
Hélène Bolduc told the all-party panel of MNAs leading the hearing that the debate is being sidetracked by calls for better palliative care, more hospital beds and better pain management. more

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Encouraging: Many in Canadian Press Oppose Euthanasia


I’m actually encouraged that there is so much opposition to euthanasia in Canada – particularly from the press, who are often in the pro-deather camp.
If angels can wait, so can we
I am weary, let me rest, says the narrator in the song by Alison Krauss and Union Street Station. It's a thought that most of us have had at one moment or another when life seems to have become a little too rough and rocky to endure, but it's one that usually passes in the course of ordinary living.
It is in the course of ordinary dying that the question becomes acute. How should we deal with people who are terminally ill and are weary and want to rest? And that raises the even more vexatious question of people who are facing death and may well be weary but don't want to go. more


Aussie Pro-Deather TV Ads Pulled


As I reported last week, the Aussie pro-deathers jumped on a TV PR game show that tasked participants to sell the unsellable and enlisted them to make euthanasia propaganda ads. They have, at lest for now, been pulled. I’m not optimistic that the ban will last, however.
Pro-euthanasia ads pulled from TV
An advertisement which calls for a government re-think on euthanasia cannot be shown on Australian television following a "last minute" backflip by a classification body.
Pro-euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke was informed of the revised position of CAD (Commercials Advice) on Friday afternoon.
Filming for the ad was completed earlier this week. more

Calgary Herald Calls It As It Is


As I’ve noted before, the Quebec hearings on assisted suicide/euthanasia are completely biased to the pro-deather side. This piece in the Calgary Herald gets it right.
Euthanasia brings culture of death
There's an all-party panel of Quebec politicians travelling across that province to gather public opinion on the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The hearings are aptly titled "Dying with Dignity," but since the right-to-kill crowd long ago co-opted that phrase to mean the individual right to choose the time and means of one's own death, there's little doubt which side of life the hearings will be biased toward. more

Quebecois Officials Deny Euthanasia A Cost-Cutting Measure: Uh-Huh


Here’s another pro-deather lie that’s popping up in the Quebec assisted suicide hearings – the official denial that euthanasia will not morph into a cost-cutting measure. Earth to Quebec: It’s already happening. Just yesterday a grieving widow testified that her husband, who had MS, committed suicide because of pain associated with his condition. Why the pain? Because the energies of much of the medical community is focused on killing people, not putting the resources into effective pain management – which is, by the way, very effective indeed.
Euthanasia hearings not linked to cost-cutting: MNA
A Quebec government committee looking into euthanasia and assisted suicide was not convened to find a way to cut health care costs and empty hospital beds, said the committee chair Thursday.
A Quebec government committee looking into euthanasia and assisted suicide was not convened to find a way to cut health care costs and empty hospital beds, said the committee chair Thursday.
Liberal MNA Geoff Kelley made a rare intervention at the committee's public hearings in Montreal to discredit the conspiracy theory put forward by some that economic arguments are at the heart of the debate started by the government.
"This is not an exercise in eugenics; this is not an exercise in finding some fast remedy to our budgetary problems," Kelley told those who came to participate in the hearings at a downtown Montreal hotel. more

Pro-Deathers Lie: Hospice NOT In The Business Of Killing


Here’s how things get blurred by the pro-deathers to their advantage. This piece asserts that more hospices in Oregon should participate in assisted suicide because it’s somehow their responsibility. What crap. This lie is being promulgated as the pro-deathers infiltrate the hospice movement. The whole idea of hospice has NOTHING to do with killing people. It’s all about celebrating love and keeping people comfortable until they die.
Research: Most Oregon Hospices do not Fully Participate in the Death with Dignity Act
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Garrison, NY A survey in the latest issue of the Hastings Center Report found that most hospices in Oregon, the first state to legalize physician-assistance in dying, either do not participate in or have limited participation in requests for such assistance. Both legal and moral reasons are identified.
This finding is significant because hospices are considered important for assuring that physician-assisted death is carried out responsibly, write the authors, Courtney S. Campbell, the Hundere Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University, and Jessica C. Cox, the Hundere Program Assistant and a second year graduate student at Oregon State. Most patients in Oregon who choose physician-assisted death are enrolled in hospice care. Hospices’ role is largely confined to providing information about the law in a neutral manner, the study found. Patients must then work on their own to find physicians who are willing to help them die. more

Friday, September 10, 2010

Pro-Deather Lies In Scottish Hearings


Usually, the pro-deathers are pretty artful at spinning things their way. An then comes someone who didn’t get the memo and actually lies – saying that legalizing assisted suicide (a) doesn’t lead down the slippery slope to death-on-demand for any reason, and (b) that the number of euthanasia cases in Holland has remained stable. Here’s the truth: In the Netherlands they went vey quickly from euthanasia for a very narrowly defined group of patients to where now anyone can request euthanasia for just about any reason. Also, the Netherlands’ own official figures show that the numbers of euthanasias, both reported and unreported, are increasingly quite quickly.
GP describes dilemma over assisted suicide
Doctors are afraid to help people to die and do it only out of compassion for their patients, a medical expert claimed yesterday.
A specially-convened committee of MSPs has started to scrutinise proposals that would make Scotland the first part of the UK to change the law on assisted suicide.
Doctors and professors from Switzerland and the Netherlands gave their personal experiences of the process. . . . .
Dr Rob Jonquiere, communications director of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies and a former GP who has carried out euthanasia in the Netherlands, said the law had not led to a “slippery slope” in the number of people asking to die.
He said: “The percentage of euthanasia cases has more or less stayed the same.” more

India: A Sane Response To Euthanasia Request


This story is important because it shows that at least in some places, in this case India, there is a legitimate counter to requests for euthanasia. The woman in the story is old, and has several medical conditions, none of them fatal and all treatable, but she wants to be euthanized. Instead of caving in, the common-sense court ruled that she get free medical care for a month and then be reassessed. What’s the bet that once she’s treated, she won’t want to die? I certainly like the odds.
Karnataka high court orders free treatment for woman seeking euthanasia
The high court on Tuesday directed the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) to give free treatment to 70-year-old HB Karibasamma for four weeks and then submit a report.
In the earlier hearing, Karibasamma had sought that Nimhans too be made a party to the case.
Justice Ajith Gunjal, while listening to the petition filed by Karibasamma seeking to be allowed euthanasia or mercy killing, on Tuesday asked Nimhans to treat the woman for a month at no cost and then submit her medical records to the court. more

Illogical Arguments Pushing Quebec Euthanasia Hearings


Here’s a Canadian piece that shows why societal taboos are often adopted. The writer basically says that because many Canadians think euthanasia is OK, it should be legalized. Frightening illogic, I’m afraid.
Hébert: Quebec leads the way with euthanasia debate
A bit more than three decades ago, the ordinary men and women who made up a Quebec jury opened the way to unrestricted access to abortion in Canada when they refused to find Dr. Henry Morgentaler guilty of a crime for performing the procedure on demand.
The Quebec government of the day was appalled by the verdict but eventually it had no choice but to relent and stop prosecuting abortion-related cases. More than a decade before the federal abortion law was struck down by the Supreme Court, it became inoperative in Quebec.
Today the sons and daughters of that generation of jurors have grown up to become the most liberal group of legislators in the country and they push the social frontiers from inside the National Assembly.
A few years ago Quebec was at the forefront of the battle to legalize gay marriage, with public support for that change running higher in the province than anywhere else in Canada.
Now Quebec may be about to push the envelope on euthanasia. more

Quebec Hearings Bring Out The Same Tired Pro-Death Tactics


More on hearings – this time in Quebec. Of course, the usual lame arguments and horror stories are trotted out to convince everyone that assisted suicide and euthanasia is almost a human right. It’s these kinds if arguments, often without the counterbalance of palliative care and the fact that pain management is a highly developed intervention, that allows the pro-deathers to perpetuate their lies.
Quebec euthanasia inquiry hears gruelling tales of suicide
He was an MS patient in rapid decline, and he spent three years searching for the best way to end it all.
Laurent Rouleau went to doctors, looking for a painless way. He studied the law, quickly realizing there was no legal way. In the end, the 59-year-old paper-mill worker was left alone, with two .22 calibre bullets to the gut. more

Seeking Dutch Foxes' Advice On The Scottish Henhouse


The “hearings” in Scotland continue as to whether assisted suicide should be legalized. Unsurprisingly, they’re bringing in killing experts doctors from Holland to say it’s OK to kill people. I’m shocked, I tell ya!
Right to die 'is hard for doctors to face'
Dr Rob Jonquiere said a request from a patient for assistance in ending their life was the most difficult ever received by a doctor, as he told MSPs most of his medical colleagues were scared to carry out such procedures, but did so out of compassion to their terminally ill patients. more

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

UK Police Wild Goose Chase - Assisted Suicide Will Not Be Punished


Pity the UK police. They’re trying to enforce the laws against assisted suicide while the legal beagles have issued a mealy-mouthed “clarification” of the law that basically says assisted suicide in the UK is still illegal, but not really. The coppers are wasting their time, energy, and the public’s money. The legal system will never prosecute the woman who went with Douglas Sinclair to Switzerland where he was assisted in being killed by death-palace Dignitas thugs.
Police to hand over death file
POLICE and legal officials are due to meet tomorrow over South Tyneside man Douglas Sinclair's assisted suicide. Retired engineer Mr Sinclair, 76, suffered from the debilitating disease multiple system atrophy, and travelled to the controversial Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, where he took his own life on July 28.
Former neighbour Janet Grieves, who acted as Mr Sinclair's carer after his wife, Monica, died 10 years ago, has been arrested, questioned and bailed by police for allegedly assisting a suicide.
The 47-year-old, of Westhope Close, South Shields, was arrested, along with a 48-year-old man. He has also been bailed.
Northumbria Police officers will meet Crown Prosecution Service officials in York tomorrow to hand over their file on the case.
It is understood that file includes a DVD of Mr Sinclair's final moments at the clinic. In it, he is seen to drink a lethal cocktail of drugs, smile at the camera and give a thumbs-up sign to nurses in the room. more

The Propaganda Machine In Full Swing In Scottish Hearings


The lies are perpetrated, with a patina of officialdom, in Scotland, where “experts” say that in some countries where assisted suicide is legal, most of the population agree with it. Mmmm, smell a rat, anyone?
Scottish Parliament
International experts on euthanasia and assisted suicide have told the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee that in countries where such practices were legal, they were widely accepted by the public.
The committee began taking evidence on the End of Life Assistance Bill on 7 September 2010.
The bill, brought forward by Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, would allow terminally ill people to seek help to die at a time of their choosing, a form of legalised assisted suicide. more

In Aussie, Euthanasia Fiction Becomes Reality


Yesterday I posted the YouTube clip of an Aussie game show that asks two competing ad agencies to produce ads to sell the unsellable, in this case euthanasia. Well, predictably, the Aussie pro-deathers have jumped on board and are considering actually hiring one of the companies to REALLY produce pro-death ads. The propaganda re-education machine will be in full swing soon, I’m sure.
Pro-euthanasia ads to hit TV screens
A "hard hitting" pro-euthanasia campaign will soon appear on television screens and billboards across Australia.
Dr Philip Nitschke, an advocate of assisted suicide, said the campaign was an Australian first and it was hoped to provoke private introspection as well as a public debate. more

Words Of Wisdom In The Quebec Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Hearings


Beryl Wajsman of the Canada Free Press gets the current furor over assisted suicide/euthanasia hearings in Quebec just about right in this excellent piece.
Guard against blind justice in the shadow of life
One is struck by why the euthanasia and assisted suicide issues are so important as to be brought forward at this time in Quebec’s history in a roving commission. It is to be hoped that it is because of compassion to reach new definitions in light of pleas from suffering people who wish to terminate their lives. However, reasonable people can be forgiven if they suspect that this issue is being pushed to set new standards to allow a bloated health-care system the right to decide when to terminate life. If there is even one scintilla of truth in that possibility then the whole exercise is venal and obscene. more

Dice Are Loaded For Pro-Deathers In Quebec


Well, this is rich. As readers know, hearings on the legalization of assisted suicide are currently been held in Quebec. Pop quiz: With a commission entitled “Dying with Dignity,” whose side do you think the commission’s on?
Euthanasia hearings spark questions over Ottawa’s role
Quebec could take a cue from B.C.’s ‘‘selective’’ stance on prosecuting assisted suicide cases, according to the head of a provincial commission who suggests the public may be open to a solution that doesn’t involve asking the federal government to change the Criminal Code.
“It’s been suggested that British Columbia has been far more selective in charging people with assisted suicide,” said Geoff Kelley, a Liberal member of Quebec’s National Assembly and president of the commission, which begins public hearings today. “Palliative care, questions of the code of ethics for medical professions, all those are under the provincial jurisdiction, as are questions of the administration of justice.”
Hoping to reignite a national debate about assisted suicide and the way patients die, the ethics of euthanasia will be debated by Quebecers through a travelling commission that will make stops in 10 cities, starting today in Montreal, before its conclusion. The commission, entitled “Dying with Dignity,” first held hearings for medical, legal and ethical experts in February. Now, the provincial politicians want to hear from the public in Quebec. more

Mad Margo Is Getting Her Way In Scotland


So it goes: Hearings on legalizing assisted suicide – this time in Scotland, related to a bill introduced by Margo MacDonald (yes, she who, when she first proposed this about a year ago, actually suggested that assisted suicide be available for children. Yes. You read correctly. For children.
MSPs take evidence on End of Life Assistance Bill
MSPs have begun taking evidence on plans to give terminally ill people the right to die. Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who has Parkinson's disease, brought the bill to make it legal for someone to seek help to end their life.
A special Holyrood committee is spending the next few weeks questioning a wide range of witnesses on the End of Life Assistance Bill.
The proposals will face their first parliamentary vote in November. more

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Aussie Euthanasia Ads - A TV Game Show - For Now

Here's an Aussie show that gets 2 ad agencies to compete in selling the unsellable. In this case, they're tasked with selling euthanasia. It's tongue-in-cheek, but closer to the truth than these guys know . . .

Quebec "Hearings" - Thin End Of The Wedge


Yup, this is the thin end of the wedge – agitate for legalized murder until the government caves and officially holds “hearings.” If you think these “hearings” won’t be completely stacked in favor of the pro-deathers, then you’re not paying attention.
Right to die debate takes centre stage in Quebec
QUEBEC — The national debate on euthanasia and helping end the life of someone who wants to die is about to be rekindled by public hearings kicking off this week in Quebec.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under the Criminal Code, a federal statute that provinces cannot change.
But Quebec is determined to weigh in on the issue and has set up a commission that will travel to some 10 cities, starting Tuesday in Montreal. more

Here's How Murder Gets Morphed Into "An Act Of Love"

Oh, please gag me . . . . man kills “disabled’ wife and himself. Sheriff calls it heroic, pro-deathers jump on board. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Sheriff is a pro-deather – why else take an ultimate criminal act and make it to be a “loving act.”
Libby shooting, arson tragedy puts focus on 'aid in dying'
LIBBY - It was an act of love, Darryl Anderson said, an act of compassion and caring and bullets and arson and it didn't have to be that way.
"Basically," Anderson said, "it was a mercy killing, to end the pain. They were good people, but there was terrible pain."
William "Ted" Hardgrove used to visit Anderson - Lincoln County's sheriff - at work, showing off his inventions or detailing his own detective work on the latest unsolved case. He'd stay and chat and sometimes harangue, Anderson said, "and I thought he was just a super old guy."
Hardgrove was 81, just like his wife Swanie. She was known for her baking, and her gardening and her lace-making, and for the fact that she had cerebral palsy as well as other crippling medical problems. In recent weeks, the increasing pain had completely overwhelmed her medication.
On the last Saturday in August, Ted Hardgrove stopped the pain. He moved their valuables out of the Libby-area house and into the garage, then left a note explaining this final, desperate act of love. more

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Switzerland: Legal Euthanasia Next?


Gee, the Swiss like the idea of assisted suicide and would even welcome euthanasia – but not for foreigners to turn up to die. How selfish!!
Swiss want a say on how to end their lives
Assisted suicide has been highly debated in Switzerland. Most Swiss are in favour of assisted suicide, and would also support direct active euthanasia – a practice currently outlawed.
But a Zurich University survey into public attitudes on these issues – the first of its kind in the country - also found a lack of support for “death tourism” where foreigners come to Switzerland to end their lives. more

Here's The Truth: We Need Good Pain Management, Not Killing


Yes, yes, and yes again – what we need is good palliative care, especially state-of-the-art pain management. If we take the pain argument away from the pro0-deathers, they have little else to support their point of view.
We need a war on pain - It's time society faced death head-on, neuroscientist says
Kathleen Foley is a neuroscientist and a prominent authority on pain.
As the Olympics of Pain wraps up in Montreal and Quebecers prepare to debate the controversial issue of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia starting Tuesday, neuroscientist Kathleen Foley says it's about time society faced death head-on.
In an interview with The Gazette at the 13th World Congress on Pain in Montreal yesterday, Foley, of the renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York and adviser to the World Health Organization cancer and palliative care unit, said euthanasia has fallen off the radar of most countries. more

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A Balanced And Realistic Discussion Of The End Of Life


Here’s a very good and balanced piece about end-of-life issues. Note, there’s nothing about assisted suicide or euthanasia, but a compassionate, yet realistic discussion of what it means to be terminally ill.
The best medicine
AS A child growing up in the impoverished Indian state of Bihar in the 1980s, Ranjana Srivastava's first encounter with cancer broke her heart. In what felt like a matter of weeks, the disease transformed her energetic grandmother into a vulnerable, ailing person who spent her last days confined to a hospital bed.
Despite being treated by one of the best cancer specialists in the region, Srivastava's ''Nanima'' did not receive good care. As she was shunted through the health system for a multitude of tests and procedures, her doctors fed only morsels of information to her eldest son, who, despite his best efforts, struggled to understand what it all meant for his mother.
Towards the end of Nanima's life, the lack of communication between these doctors and her family led to a tragic end. Without knowing her grandmother's prognosis, Srivastava, then 10, and her mother flew to Britain to visit family. While they were gone, their beloved matriarch fell into a coma and died. She was cremated before they could get back to see her one last time. There were things they wanted to say. They did not get a chance to say goodbye. more

 
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