Austrian Med Students Acceptance Of Euthanasia Increases Significantly

A recent issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics has this report from Austria, where, among medical students, acceptance of euthanasia as a legit medical practice has jumped. Why? Well, as acceptance of assisted sucide and euthanasia sweeps across Europe, medical students are no different than anyone else in falling prey to the pro-deather spin.

Changing attitudes towards euthanasia among medical students in Austria

Background In most European countries the attitudes regarding the acceptability of active euthanasia have clearly changed in the population since World War II. Therefore, it is interesting to know which trends in attitudes prevail among the physicians of the future.

Methods The present study analyses trends in the attitudes towards active euthanasia in medical students at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. The survey was conducted over a period of 9 years, enabling us to investigate trends regarding both attitudes and underlying motives.

Results Acceptance of active euthanasia increased from 16.3% to 29.1% to 49.5% in the periods from 2001 to 2003/04 to 2008/09. more

Assisted Suicide In Washington & Oregon Open To Massive Abuse

For those poor delusional souls who think that legalized assisted sucide in Oregon and Washington State is working well, read this excellent analysis. I'll give you just two little teasers: Almost none of the people who received the killing meds had a psychiatric evaluation and there's nothing in either states' law that has any regulation or control over what happens once the poison has been dispensed.

Assisted Suicide Mystery: What’s Really Going On?

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The annual assisted suicide reports for Washington and Oregon show that the numbers of those dying continue to rise, while the information gathered by officials seems increasingly deficient. more

Aussie Dr. Death Overreaches

As I reported yesterday, Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke has had the Aussie media in a tizzy as he shops around for a venue to open Australia's first euthanasia clinic. He might have overplayed his hand at a time when there is a raging debate and proposed legislation to legalize euthanasia.

Nitschke visit harms case for euthanasia

DR Philip Nitschke's plans for a euthanasia clinic in Adelaide have been condemned.

MPs who support or are undecided about a law aimed at protecting doctors who accelerate the death of terminally ill patients believe his move could ensure the defeat of private member's legislation put forward by Labor MP Stephanie Key. more

Aussie Dr. Death's Search For Property For Euthanasia Clinic

Here's a clip of Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke's looking to find a property for Aussie's first euthanasia clinic (never mind that euthanasia is illegal in Australia).

Another Case Of Doctor Power In Florida

Here's another instance of what I call Doctor Power - medical arm-twisting whether loved ones like it or not. Here a 19 year-old is on life support & had signed up to be an organ donor. His parents initially went along with the donation, but then changed their minds - the medicos weren't too happy, although the parents (for now) have prevailed.

Doctors follow parents' decision over brain-dead son

Joe and Barbara Austin spent most of the weekend horrified that Charlotte Regional Medical Center might turn off life support and harvest the organs of their 19-year-old son against their will. more

Idaho Closer To Criminalizing Assisting A Suicide

Idaho's proposal to make assisting in a suicide a crime continues to move forward and looks like it'll be signed into law soon. Good for Idaho!!

Idaho House sends assisted suicide ban to governor for signature

The House voted overwhelmingly to send a bill banning helping somebody else commit suicide to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter for signature.

Monday's 61-8 vote came after brief debate on the chamber's floor. more

An Antidote To Netherlands' Pro-Deather Slippery Slope

As we all know, the Netherlands was ground zero for the slippery slope towards requesting death at any time for any reason and at any age. This commentary takes a good look at how horrible it would be to keep going down that slippery slope.

The self-determination delusion

A Dutch action group for free will wants to give all people the right to assisted suicide. But can this be achieved without us ending up somewhere we never wanted to go? Gerbert van Loenen has grave doubts.

The Dutch citizens' action group Uit Vrije Wil (of one's own free will) says it wants to give all people the right to terminate their own lives. Elderly people who want to die should be able to receive assistance to end their lives, if they so wish. A total of 116,871 citizens have expressed their support for the law to be changed to facilitate this. more

Earth To Pro-Deathers: Life Can Be Lived With A Disability

Here's a good piece telling the side of the story the pro-deathers would rather you didn't know: That it's entirely possibly to live a full and rewarding life even if one has some form of disability, and that being killed or killing your self is not an option.

The challenges of life in a wheelchair

There has been a long-running controversy about the scarcity of disabled characters in Britain’s soap operas. But if Emmerdale, ITV’s Yorkshire-based tale of country folk, hoped to win plaudits from campaigners for its current plotline about a young man with a spinal cord injury, then its producers will have been disappointed. The widely reported revelation – albeit so far unconfirmed officially – that Jackson Walsh (played by Marc Silcock) is to choose assisted suicide over life as a wheelchair user, has prompted a chorus of complaints.

“Anybody who’s had a spinal injury,” says Simon Morris – who, like the Jackson character, has a “C3” or high-level spinal cord injury and has no movement below his neck – “will know that it is normal to have feelings of suicide when you are adjusting to your new life.” more

Aussie Dr. Death Scouting For Euthanasia Clinic Property

The Energizer Bunny of the pro-death movement, Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke, is at it again, this time scouting venues for his assisted sucide clinic in Australia. This is in spite of the fact that euthanasia is illegal in Australia.

Euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke eyes death clinic for Adelaide

EUTHANASIA advocate Philip Nitschke expects to open an assisted death clinic in Adelaide within a month. Dr Nitschke was in Adelaide today to inspect possible premises, but just when the clinic may open its doors will depend on the passage of legislation through the South Australian parliament to effectively decriminalise assisted suicide. more

Antidote To Assisted Suicide: Good Pain Management & Hospice

I never thought that I'd agree with UK pro-deather Debbie Purdy, but here she's right - if people with medical disabilities aren’t able to get medications they need, they may well consider more drastic actions like assisted suicide and euthanasia. That’s why medical pain management and hospice are so important.

Access to MS treatment criticised

Multiple sclerosis patients could be driven to suicide by a lack of access to treatment, a campaigner will tell MPs.

Debbie Purdy says that guidance on assisted suicide issued in 2009 is being "undermined" because the quality of life of MS sufferers is being damaged by inconsistent access to medication. more

How Legalizing Euthanasia Leads To Even Great Horrors

An excellent Indian piece on how legalizing euthanasia portends a greater evil to come.

Killing them softly

I’ve been tying my brain in knots trying to understand what they mean by passive euthanasia. The Supreme Court recently gave permission for it, provided it’s ordered by a court and supervised by doctors.

I had heard of euthanasia, which is a long word for mercy-killing, but I had never heard of passive mercy-killing. Indeed, the idea that one could kill passively seems rather odd. more

India's Medicalized Killing Will Expand - Trust Me On This One

It's amazing how quickly India caved in to medicalized killing. The Aruna Shanbaug case was the catalyst. Look, over the next several years, for India to expand legalized killing to other groups, and for their "limited" euthanasia to be increasingly expanded.

India: euthanasia allowed in extreme cases

The case of a vegetative nurse has led to a landmark ruling on euthanasia.

Nearly four decades ago a janitor at a Mumbai hospital raped a young nurse, strangling her with a dog chain. The nurse, Aruna Shanbaug, plunged into a vegetative state from which she never recovered.

Thirty-seven years later, the courts say she could be allowed to die — should those who care for her deem it the best decision. Right-to-die activists are heralding the landmark ruling as as step forward, though in a somewhat surprising turn of events, the nurses who care for Shanbaug have not chosen to exercise this new right. more

Aussie Pro-Deathers Look For End-Run If Euthanasia Not Legalized

More on the Aussie euthanasia debate, and a good example of how the pro-deathers attack on many fronts at the same time. Not only are they trying to legalize medical killing, but they’re also trying to introduce legislation that would exempt doctors who kill their patients in case the euthanasia law doesn't pass.

Health Minister backs doctor defence bill

Health Minister John Hill says proposed legal changes to give South Australian doctors a defence for administering medication which may cause death do not open the door for legalising euthanasia.

He is supporting a private member's bill put forward in State Parliament which would provide a defence if a medical practitioner were charged under the Criminal Law Consolidation Act for administering medicine which may hasten death.

Mr Hill says it is not about people having the right to euthanasia. more

Aussie Push-Back Against The Pro-Deathers

At least there's some pushback against the pro-deathers in Aussie. It’s a titanic battle, and it's up for grabs.

Right MPs warn against euthanasia push

SENIOR right-wing Labor MPs are speaking out against new legislation paving the way for South Australia to become the first state to allow doctor-assisted euthanasia. more

Duh: They're Already Killing Patients In UK Hospitals

Say it ain't so!!! Euthanasia being done on the quiet at UK National Health Service hospitals?? Who would have thunk it?? Well, duh, the pro-deathers are going to use this to call for immediate legalization so that the killing can be "regulated." That's exactly how things went in the Netherlands.

Catholic Medical Association head: 'Unofficial euthanasia practiced in NHS'

The president of the Catholic Medical Association, Dr Clare Walker believes that euthanasia is being quite widely practiced in the NHS in an unofficial way. more

Aussie: Killers Looking Forward To Getting Rid Of Relatives If Euthanasia Legalized

Yes folks, Aussie has yet to legalize euthanasia but already relatives are coming out of the woodwork saying they can't wait for the law to take effect so they can have their relatives killed. Aren't we lucky???

Endless sorrow of futile care giving

TWICE a week for five years, Brian Leigep has kept a vigil at the bedside of his brother Mark.

He clips Mark's nails, updates him on life outside a bed he will probably never leave and puts on some of his favourite hip-hop music.

Mark never responds. He has been unable to communicate since a 2006 car crash in Elizabeth left him in a vegetative state.

As Health Minister John Hill yesterday backed a new push to introduce euthanasia in South Australia, Mr Leigep renewed his family's call that Mark be legally euthanised. more

More Aussie Pro-Death Spin

Here's another good example of pro-deather spin. Aussie pol comes out in favor of legalizing assisted suicide after watching his sister's painful death. Um, sorry, two problems here. One, she had repeatedly refused pain medication, hence, she was in pain. Two: ANYONE dying an excruciatingly painful death does so because the boneheads attending her don't know enough about pain management and palliative care.

Let them die in peace

HEALTH Minister John Hill stood at his sister's deathbed, surrounded by her family and friends.

They searched for anything that would relieve her awful pain and suffering. Battling a terminal case of cancer at the age of 47, she initially refused to accept the arrival of death and declined drugs and palliative care offered by doctors. As the gravity of the situation became apparent, she acquiesced and accepted medication that could lead to only one conclusion. more

Alarming Trend: Pro-Deathers Infiltrate Hospice Organizations

This has been happening for a while - the pro-deathers infiltrating hospice organizations to trojan-horse their obsession with killing.

Assisted Suicide Advocate Heads Up Palliative Care in Vermont

Medical Center proudly announced their new “Partners in Palliative and Home Care” practice staffed with Diana Barnard, MD and Will Porter, MD in the summer of 2009.

The August press release quoted Dr. Barnard, “For the people of our community, expanded access to coordinated high-quality palliative care can help facilitate greater personal autonomy and control over their care and treatment choices and bring a degree of humanity and sensitivity to illness-related emotional, psychological and spiritual issues that otherwise might get lost in the delivery of traditional medical treatment.”

Dr. Barnard is a strong advocate for assisted suicide, and has been for many years. more

Here's Some Reality About Assisted Suicide - Legal Or Not

Here's a good piece ion the reality of assisted suicide, legal or not.

Devil’s workshop legalised?

‘Do you really want to die today?’ asked the nurse, a small glass of deadly barbiturates in her hand. Michele Causse on her 74th birthday on 29 July 2010 was lying in bed, dressed in a white suit, complete with a rose on her jacket buttonhole. She replied, not a trace of hesitation or regret in her voice, ‘Yes, it is my wish to die.’ more

Indian Experts: Legal Euthanasia Opens Door To Abuse

Here's a sane thought in the Indian euthanasia debate - it opens the door to potentially massive exploitation of medically and other vulnerable populations.

Risk of misusing euthanasia large: Experts

Terming euthanasia an inhuman practice, experts from various fields unanimously declared that it should not be practised anywhere in the world. more

Trend: Murderers Claim They Assisted In Suicides

Here we go again - this time in South Dakota where a man on trial insists what he did was help a buddy commit suicide, not murder. uh-huh . . .

Attorney Argues SD Killing Was Assisted Suicide

The lawyer for a man convicted of first-degree murder in a killing he argued was assisted suicide asked the South Dakota Supreme Court to overturn the verdict Tuesday. more

Russia Turns Down Criminal Requesting Euthanasia

Obviously prisoners in Russian jails have gotten their fill of the pro-deather spin. Here's an inmate who is chronically ill and has requested euthanasia. To the Russians' credit, he was turned down.

Russian inmate pleads for euthanasia to no avail

A seriously ill inmate has addressed several organizations in Russia requesting euthanasia. Despite the man suffering from a severe form of diabetes, he has been denied release from the prison or a change of sentence. more

Final Exit Network: The Baghdad Bob Of The Pro-Deather Movement

The Final Exit Network is the "Baghdad Bob" of the pro-deather movement. Most of their senior leadership is under federal indictment, but they still run around the country putting up billboards espousing assisted suicide. Gotta admire the chutzpah.

Final Exit Network Offers Information On Suicide To Critically Ill

A national group that promotes "the right to die" is spreading its message to Boston. Final Exit Network believes competent adults with fatal, painful diseases should be able to end their lives.

The network has erected billboards all over the country to spread its message with words some might consider compassionate, and others, outrageous. more

Oregon Two-Faced In Allowing Assisted Killing To Continue

Time for a macabre chuckle: Oregon, where the most legal assisted suicides happen in the US, is tut-tutting over the availability of helium head hoods that people use to commit assisted suicide - delivered to their door after internet ordering from California. Okey-dokey, so if the purpose of legalized assisted sucide is to not prosecute those that help out, why the problem? More likely, the desk jockeys in the Oregon state government want to absolutely control the process, so they continue to hide the ugly truth of assisted suicide in that state.

SUICIDE KITS SELL DEATH BY MAIL

His mind was keen, his grin infectious. His passions were politics and sports. He read voraciously. His humor was prankish, his wit razor-sharp.

Born and raised in Eugene, he adored his parents and four brothers. He graduated from South Eugene High School and the University of Michigan.

For years, he struggled through bouts of pain and fatigue that defied medical diagnosis and left him depressed about his inability to carry on normal daily activities and fearful that he would never regain normal health.

He had dreams, ambitions, accomplishments and, say many who knew him, vast potential.

But three months ago, in the throes of a flu that upended a period of relatively good health, Nick Klonoski took his own life.

He had just turned 29.

Klonoski did not use any of the commonly known methods of suicide. Instead, he employed a “helium hood kit” that he ordered by mail from a two-person company in Southern California. more

Beware Those Who Call Killers "Quirky"

Here's a bonehead who's either a serious pro-deather or just plain ol' ignorant. OK, he's a lawyer, so maybe both. Anyone who thinks Jack Kevorkian is "quirky" rather than the crazed murderer he is, is loopy. Going as far as saying that assisted killing is a "dignified" way to go for people with disabilities is simply hate speech, in my so very humble opinion.

Neil Shapiro: Right to die gives dignity to disabled

I recently watched an HBO movie about Jack Kevorkian, the quirky Michigan doctor who assisted numerous people suffering painful, debilitating and ultimately fatal diseases to commit suicide, to die when they wanted to and on their own terms.

Parenthetically, Al Pacino's portrayal of "Dr. Death" was brilliant. The production addressed the schism between those who believe that we should have control over our own deaths, and others who believe it a sin to interfere with some supreme being's grand plan for us. more

More Pro-Death Spin From India

Well, gee, who woulda thunk it??? Pro-deathers in India think that the narrow Indian Supreme Court decision for euthanasia should be allowed for all the usual reasons . . . Aren't we oh so very lucky??

Who has the last word?

The case of Aruna Shanbaug before the Supreme Court has brought the subject of euthanasia into public debate once again; but allowing for the first time, passive euthanasia in specific circumstances. The Court has ruled, pending legislation, that passive euthanasia is permissible, and brain-dead patients need not be kept alive by support systems or artificial feeding. However, 60-year-old Aruna Shanbaug, having spent 37 years in a hospital bed, who is neither in coma nor brain-dead, may not be allowed to die.

Hailed as groundbreaking, the judgement takes a disappointingly narrow view of an issue that has ramifications across the medical, ethical and social dimensions of society. Primarily engaged with the question of who was Aruna’s ‘next friend’ who may decide to withdraw her life support, the court favoured the hospital staff who have looked after her all these years and rejected the plea of the journalist Pinki Virani who had sought permission to withdraw Aruna’s life support. Since the hospital wanted to keep Aruna alive, the Court upheld its wishes. If later the hospital wishes to withdraw life support to Aruna, it must apply to the court. Extending this logic, the Court has allowed that caretakers of those incapable and lying in similar states to seek passive euthanasia on the patients’ behalf in specific cases following an application to the high courts. more

Great Commentary On The Baby Joseph Case

Here's a very interesting piece commenting on the Baby Joseph saga. Well worth a read.

Letting go on 'God's time'

The debate over the fate of "Baby Joseph," the Windsor-area baby in an irretrievable vegetative state who has been the subject of a dispute with doctors over end-of-life treatment, mostly leaves out the painful weeks and months that these parents have been through. The discussion has also been polarized by right-to-life forces and those who advocate euthanasia. more

The State Of The Battle Against The Pro-Deathers

Here’s a useful piece summarizing the state of the battle against the prodeathers in Canada, the US, and some foreign countries.

Death Struggles Return

LONDON, Ont. — State by state, supporters of assisted suicide are ramping up their efforts to seek friendly legislators or sympathetic judges to enable the terminally ill to get help ending their lives if they are incapacitated.

Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire and Vermont are among half a dozen states where legislators have recently faced bills to either legalize or outlaw assisted suicide. more

More Aussie Pro-Deather Spin

Here's more Aussie media spin in favor of legalizing euthanasia. It’s the old I-should-be-killed-because-I'm-tired-of-living argument tied to the I-don't-want-to-suffer argument, tied to I-don't-want-to-be-a-burden schlock. I expect that this pro-deather full court press will continue.

Euthanasia: The public politics of the most private decision

I tried to hold my breath as I followed my mum through the long hospital corridors. I hated the sterile smell as I imagined it smelt like death.

Inside the room, there were strangers in three beds. In the other was my Gran: white-haired, tiny and frail. We pulled a curtain around us for some pretend privacy. But everyone could hear what she was saying. I wished I couldn’t. more

Aussie Media Spin About Legalizing Euthanasia

See, this is how media spin works. This Aussie poll is slanted towards the fact that 4 out of 10 polled favor euthanasia. What's not noted????  SIXTY percent of those polled did not favor it. Always read media reports carefully.

40 per cent support euthanasia: poll

More than 40 per cent of Australians would "take the option of euthanasia if available" if they were terminally ill with just weeks to live, a poll has indicated. more

Some Good Arguments From Vermont Against Legalized Killing

If you ever needed strong arguments against legalizing assisted suicide, look to the disability community who are likely the first to be abused by medicalizing murder. Here's a good piece from the Vermont debate about legalizing assisted suicide.

Death with Dignity Part II: Vt. backers and foes debate

ST. ALBANS — To get a perspective on the opposition to the Death with Dignify bill, commonly referred to as “physician assisted suicide,” the Messenger spoke at length with Ed Paquin, executive director, Disability Rights Vermont (formerly Vermont Protection & Advocacy, Inc.).

Paquin, disabled in an electrical accident in 1988, became active in politics in 1990 and was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives for 12 years. He has been an opponent of Death With Dignity for several years and at one point did a television commercial spot speaking out against the measure. more

Good News: Minnesota Nurse Convicted For Encouraging Net Suicide

Good, good, good. If you're a creepy sicko that gets their jollies goading people on the web to kill themselves, and then have them do it, you deserve to go to jail. Period.

Former Minn. nurse guilty of using chats to encourage 2 suicides

A former nurse in Minnesota has been found guilty of using Internet chats to encourage and advise two people to commit suicide. more

The War On Down Syndrome Gets More Pointed

I'm shocked, I tell you . . . More effective ways to eugenically kill those who are different? Who would have thought . . . ? (Forgive the sarcasm, too tempting).

Study proves accuracy of new Down syndrome test, increases fears of ‘weeding out’ Down’s children

A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine and authored by researchers in Cyprus, shows the success of a new prenatal blood test that could potentially replace current invasive procedures used to test for Down syndrome. more

Aussie Dr. Death Pushes For Assisted Suicide Clinic In Tasmania

Here's an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report on Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke's idea of setting up assisted suicide clinics in Tasmania if (as he hopes) if Tasmania's laws are changed this year.

Here's The Truth About Assisted Suicide In Washington State

Here's a good look at what really is happening in Washington State written by my good friend and colleague, Margaret Dore.

Washington State Assisted Suicide Report Lacks Consent Info

On March 10, 2011, Washington State issued a formal report about its physician-assisted suicide act.(2) The report does not address whether the people who died under the act did so on a voluntary basis. The information provided is inherently unreliable. more

Good: Idaho Makes Assisted Suicide A Felony

While other US state are falling over themselves to legalize assisted suicide, Idaho gets it right - making assisted suicide a serious felony crime. Good for Idaho!!

Eye On Boise: Senate passes anti-assisted suicide bill

The Idaho Senate has voted 31-2 in favor of SB 1070, which makes assisted suicide a felony in Idaho, revokes the licenses of doctors who violate the new law and allows people to get injunctions to block anyone they think might be planning an assisted suicide. more

Washington State: Assisted Suicide Numbers Misleading

Here's the latest count (last year) about dispensing poison in Washington state. The Washington assisted suicide law is full of holes, especially seeing that the state's oversight ends with the dispensing of the drugs by the pharmacist. After that, who knows????

87 people got assisted-suicide drugs in Wash. in 2010

Eighty-seven people received medication to end their lives last year with the help of 68 doctors and 40 pharmacists, the state Department of Health reported Thursday. more

Earth To Aussies: Don't Believe Euthanasia Polls From The Pro-Deathers

Well, this is how the media works - claiming overwhelming support for euthanasia without telling us how they arrived at the number or how the questions were posed. Clue: It was commissioned by the pro-deathers themselves. I'm not impressed.

Support for voluntary euthanasia at 85%

SUPPORT for voluntary euthanasia in NSW is running at 83 per cent, with only 10 per cent of people implacably opposed, according to a Newspoll commissioned by advocates Dying with Dignity NSW. more

Aussie Pro-Deathers Turn Up The propaganda

As readers here will know, there's a titanic battle over legalizing euthanasia in Aussie. Pay attention to this story, because this is how the pro-death spin works - trot out a chronically or terminally ill person who wants the "dignity" of "dying at home" rather than traveling halfway across the world to Swiss Killing Clinic Dignitas. Evoke sympathy, sway the debate.

Euthanasia divides parties, but not patient

A SMALL inheritance from her father's estate is all that stands between Loredana Alessio-Mulhall and despair.

Within a year, the 61-year-old, who suffers from rapidly deteriorating multiple sclerosis, expects to spend the money on a plane fare to the Netherlands, where she will be able to seek euthanasia provided legally by medical practitioners. more

UK Physicians Mostly Against Assisted Suicide - Good!!

Gee, I wonder why UK doctors are overwhelmingly opposed to assisted suicide while (allegedly) the UK public think it's just dandy? Could it be the massive pressure by the pro-deathers on the public debate, spin, deceit, and all?

UK Doctors Consistently Oppose Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

A review of research carried out over 20 years suggests that UK doctors appear to consistently oppose euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The findings -- which appear in the latest issue of the journal Palliative Medicine, published by SAGE -- highlight a gap between doctors' attitudes and those of the UK public. more

Pro-Deathers At It Again in Vermont

Here's a transcript of a show on Vermont Public Radio where the pro-deathers are at it again trying to get killing legalized.

"Death With Dignity" Legislation Raises Renewed Debate

(Host) Vermont is once again facing a debate over whether terminally ill patients should have the right to end their own lives with help from a doctor.

VPR's Samantha Fields has more:

(Fields) A bill was introduced in the House last month. Supporters call it "Death with Dignity" or "Right to Die" legislation... opponents call it "physician-assisted suicide." more

UK Laws Against Assisted Suicide Might as Well Not Be There

Here we go: Assisted suicide is still illegal in the UK. However, the government issued "guidelines" which essentially said that assisted suicide was OK as long as you were doing it compassionately. Here's on of the first cases showing that everyone has basically given up on prosecuting these cases.

Man who helped his wife to take her own life is spared court thanks to new Starmer guidelines on assisted suicide

A husband helped his disabled wife commit suicide and filmed her doing it to show no one had killed her.

After suffering ‘excrutiating pain’ from a mystery condition for four decades, Margaret Bateman, 62, decided suicide was the ‘only option left’ and pleaded with husband Michael to help her ‘end it', an inquest was told. more

Tasmania Totters Towards Legalized Killing

It's not a done deal yet, by a long shot, but there's at least a chance that Tasmania will collapse into the cesspool of legalizing not only assisted suicide but euthanasia.

State to push for mercy killing

TASMANIA is poised to become the first state to legalise voluntary euthanasia and to allow "death with dignity" clinics to operate.

Labor Premier Lara Giddings told The Australian late yesterday she was committed to working with the Greens to prepare a private member's bill for voluntary euthanasia.

"The Leader of the Tasmanian Greens (Nick) McKim and I will continue to progress this initiative as private members and plan to issue a consultation paper towards the end of the year," she said. more

Suicide In The Internet Age

Suicide in the internet age. Share killing yourself with tens of thousands of people. Again, aren't we oh so lucky?

Bioethics Prof.: Online Support for Man Ending Life 'Disturbing'

The mass online support through social media sites Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook for an Oregon man who says he plans to end his life on Tuesday because he has terminal cancer is “disturbing,” said a Christian bioethics professor. more

Oh So Lucky: Brit Doctor Thinks Newborns Should Die to Save Money

Just what we need - another Brit doctor calling for letting newborns die because keeping them alive is too expensive and, oh, by the way, their body parts are really useful after they're dead. Revolting.

Doctor Advises Euthanasia for 23-Week Premature Babies

A Kiwi trained doctor settled in Britain has raised doubts about her expertise after she suggested that premature babies born at 23 weeks should not be provided any care. The medical professional in question is Dr. Daphne Austin, who feels that keeping the babies alive through medical aid just elongates their suffering. more

LA Times Misinforms Readers: Clueless On Assisted Suicide vs. Euthanasia

I really, really, really wish that the media would shut up if they're going to be as misinformed as this LA Times piece on India's Supreme Court decision yesterday. Earth to LA Times: Assisted suicide is NOT "some form of euthanasia." There is NO legalized euthanasia in the US. Period. End of Story.

India's Supreme Court lays out euthanasia guidelines 

India's Supreme Court on Monday laid out guidelines for the use of euthanasia in extreme situations involving terminally ill patients, even as it rejected a plea for its use in the case of a woman who has been in a vegetative state for nearly four decades.

With the decision, India joins a handful of nations — including Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland — and the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington in allowing some form of euthanasia. India has no law on the issue, making the guidelines legally binding until Parliament passes legislation. more

India Yesterday: Euthanasia May Be Legal - Today: Line 'Em Up To Die

Well that didn't take long. Yesterday the Indian Supreme Court opened to door to euthanasia under certain circumstances. Today they're ling em' up to be killed. Sad? Unspeakably. Unexpected? Heck no.

Docs for selective euthanasia

The families of the six patients in a vegetative state with no hope of recovery at AIIMS’ trauma centre can now appeal to the high court for being granted euthanasia, in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict on Monday.

“These patients will never recover. They can’t be sent home as their families have spent all their money and savings to keep them alive,” said Dr Deepak Aggarwal, assistant professor neurosurgery at the trauma centre. more

Aruna's Caregivers Celebrate No Euthanasia Decision By Supreme Court

It's encouraging to see that many doctors and the nurses who care for India's Terri Schiavo, Aruna Shanbaug, are celebrating the Indian Supreme Court's decision that she not be euthanized. Obviously this is not the Netherlands, or Belgium, or Switzerland - yet.

Medical fraternity hails SC verdict on mercy killing

The Supreme Court verdict dismissing the plea for mercy killing of a nurse was on Monday welcomed by the medical fraternity, including nurses looking after the comatose sexual assault victim, which cautioned that any move to legalise active euthanasia was fraught with dangers.

“India is not mature enough to handle euthanasia,” senior Bangalore-based cardiologist Devi Prasad Shetty said while expressing his happiness over the verdict on a mercy killing plea on behalf of 60-year-old Aruna Shanbaug who has been in a vegetative state for 37 years after the assault in a Mumbai hospital. more

India Court Denies Euthanasia For Aruna Shanbaug . . . BUT . . .

Well, here's the good news: India's Supreme Court has just handed down a decision in the case of India's Terri Schiavo, Aruna Shanbaug declaring that she not be euthanized. The bad news? They've left the door open for other cases where they seem to indicate "passive euthanasia" might be legal. Let's hope our side gets rolling in India and pushes back what will be, I'm sure, a flood of cases to test the Court's sentiments.

India court rejects Aruna Shanbaug euthanasia plea

India's Supreme Court has rejected a plea to end the life of a woman who has been in a vegetative state since 1973.

Aruna Shanbaug suffered severe brain damage and has been paralysed since a brutal rape in 1973.

But the court said the medical evidence suggested that she should live.

However, in what correspondents are calling a "landmark" judgment, the court also said some cases of euthanasia could be sanctioned if doctors were to file a case in court. more

Powerful Arguments From India Against Euthanasia

Here's an attempt to balance arguments for and against euthanasia using India’s Terri Schiavo, Aruna Schaunbaug, as the exemplar. As readers of this blog know, I'm against any form of euthanasia, hence the end of this piece, where the author presents very powerful arguments against euthanasia.

A Conspicuous Yet Nascent Debate on Euthanasia in Our Country

. . . . Although I believe that if a life of a person has reached a point such that the quality of life has been compromised beyond an acceptable level for them, then they ought to be allowed to end their life in whatever manner they prefer so as to mitigate their sufferings. But in a country like ours, where we do not have a particular legislation on euthanasia, and where the debate on euthanasia in in nascent stage, legalization of euthanasia would not really be a good idea because of following reasons: more

Dr. Death Wants An Aussie Euthanasia Clinic

Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke is proposing opening a euthanasia clinic in Aussie. He proposed a similar idea for London last week. He says this is an anticipatory move because he expects South Australia to pass a euthanasia bill later this year. You'll recall that that bill was slapped down pretty handily. What Nitschke is doing is a little more subtle: He's floating the idea now to draw media attention to his cause, and hoping this move will influence the euthanasia debate Down Under.

Australia may get euthanasia clinic

PLAN for Australia's first euthanasia clinic are likely to go ahead, Exit International director Dr Philip Nitschke says.

"There is a need for a service to provide end of life expertise for those considering using the new legislation. This is a specialist area where few doctors have expertise," Dr Nitschke said in a statement yesterday.

The proposal for the clinic, which will be built in either Hobart or Adelaide, has been developed in anticipation of voluntary euthanasia legislation expected to pass through the state parliaments later this year, he said. more

Nope, Not Assisted Suicide - It's Murder

Duh. This NY case was never about assisted suicide - it was another case that's becoming increasingly common - commit murder and then say it was "assisted suicide." Novel, but not very smart.

Verdict is Murder in 'Assisted Suicide' Case

An ex-con who said he was assisting in the suicide of a distressed Long Island man who wanted to die so his family could collect on a massive life insurance payout was found guilty of murder by a Manhattan jury on Thursday. more

Why The Fuss Over Assisted Suicide Drug For Execution?

So ironic. The media is creating a bit of a fuss about a death row inmate about to be put to death using the same drug that's used for assisted suicide while at the same time generally praising its use for helping people kill themselves.

US gov rejects mercy, paving way for inmate to be 1st executed with assisted suicide drug

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Friday rejected a request for mercy from a death row inmate, paving the way for the state to become the first to execute a prisoner solely with an anesthetic used for assisted suicides and medically induced comas.

The Republican governor denied the request by Johnnie Baston, 37, who's scheduled to die Thursday for killing Chong-Hoon Mah, a South Korean immigrant who operated retail stores in Toledo. The victim's family opposes the death penalty and the execution. more

Earth To Pro-Deathers: Humans Aren't Animals

If you ever needed convincing of the nihilism of the prodeathers, read this chilling "justification" for killing other people.

Gauntlet Opinions - Killing a human is sometimes just

Imagine a dog born with a serious disability. The dog, unable to walk or feed itself, is in constant pain according to its veterinarian. Because it often has seizures, the dog must take medication to stop them, but the medication prevents it from taking pain medication. In such a case, most people will think it reasonable to have the dog put down -- its quality of life is sufficiently poor and were it able to, it would likely request euthanasia. more

Indian Media Reporting Heavily On Euthanasia

As we await the decision by India's Supreme Court in the case of Aruna Schaunbaug, the Indian media continues to present a fairly good set of reports on the issues.

Docs divided over euthanasia

MUMBAI: When the Law Commission, years ago, recommended that terminally ill patients be allowed to choose death to end their sufferings, those in favour of 'death with dignity' had rejoiced. Their joy however proved short-lived.

On Wednesday, the Centre rejected the Law Commission's recommendation. The same day, attorney general G E Vahanvati said in the Supreme Court that euthanasia is an un-Indian practice. He said that western parameters seldom applied to Indian culture. "We do not lead our terminally ill parents or kids to death. Who decides if one should live or die?" more

A Summary Of Some "Right To Die" Cases As India Awaits the Aruna Verdict

This report from an Indian newspaper summarizing some "right to die" cases is quite useful, as far as it goes. Interesting that Terri Schiavo is not mentioned.

Death wish

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on Aruna Shaunbaug’s euthanasia plea. We take a peek at how such cases are treated the world over. more

NY Woman Murders Son - Says It's Assisted Suicide

Here's a perfect example of how the pro-death idea has seeped into the mainstream media - and how they get it wrong. Mother stabs disabled son to death. They say it's assisted suicide. Really? How will we ever know that the son asked to be killed? We can't, but either way, it's murder, plain and simple.

Mother kills son in assisted suicide

A Queens woman is facing criminal charges after she killed her wheelchair-bound son.

Migdalia Vera, 57, stabbed her son, Rene, because his cerebral palsy was making his life too difficult, and he asked her to kill him, she said. Rene could neither walk nor speak. more

Media In The Tank For Euthanasia

Now, the thrust of this piece is OK, but notice how the media dwells on how agonizing end of life decisions are made by families. Geez, really? Next thing we'll have to get the government to take care of these decisions, right?

Families haunted by end-of-life decisions

The burden of making medical decisions for a loved one can cause distress and even post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

When a patient is physically or mentally unable to make medical choices, his or her fate falls into the hands of others, usually family members or friends.  They ultimately choose whether to start dialysis, have a risky surgery or put a person on life support.

The prevailing logic is that family members know the patient best and can make the most appropriate medical decisions. more

Canadian Media Sympathetic To Murderer

Canadian Mr. Bolton killed his wife - as in murdered - and then claimed it was euthanasia. Guess what the media does: brings up another case where a husband took his wife to Swiss Death clinic dignitas for assisted suicide, as if euthanasia or assisted suicide - both - are OK. We're in trouble, folks.

Euthanasia buzz hits close to home

Stephan Bolton, a Liverpool man, turned himself into police last week claiming he killed his terminally ill wife.

His claim pushed the subjects of euthanasia and assisted suicide back to the forefront of the news, reigniting the debate.

The story also thrust Windsor resident Eric MacDonald back into the spotlight.

June 8 will mark the four-year anniversary of the day MacDonald accompanied his 38-year-old wife to an assisted- suicide clinic in Switzerland, knowing he would return a widower. more

India Supreme Court Gets It Right: Euthanasia Is Abusive

Good for India’s Supreme Court, which has been asked to euthanize India's Terri Schiavo, Aruna Shanbaug. They're asking a question that we bring up constantly: How does euthanasia not leave open the path for all kinds of abuse???

Euthanasia could be ruse for grabbing property: SC

Wondering whether euthanasia could be a ruse for grabbing properties, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a mercy killing plea of a Mumbai nurse living a vegetative existence for the last 37 years after being sexually assaulted by a hospital sweeper.

A bench of justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra reserved the verdict after hearing detailed arguments of Attorney General GE Vahanvati and several senior counsel opposing the plea for mercy killing made by Pinki Virani who described herself as the "next friend" of the victim. more

Aruna's Fate To Be Announced Monday By India's Supreme Court

India's Supreme Court to announce verdict Monday as to whether India's Terri Schiavo, Aruna Shanbaug, should be euthanized.

Aruna plea verdict reserved

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in the Aruna Shanbaug mercy killing case. The court is likely to come out with the verdict on Monday. more

Indian Supreme Court To Decide On Their Terri Schiavo

The case of Aruna Shanbaug, India's Terri Schiavo, has reached the Indian Supreme Court. Hopefully they'll listen to Aruna's caregivers, who love her very much, keep her comfortable, and who realize that she has dignity in living, not in being killed.

SC to hear Aruna Shanbaug euthanasia plea

The petition of Mumbai nurse Aruna Shanbaug, who is in a coma for the past 36 years in a Mumbai hospital, seeking permission to die, will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The petition, filed by activist-journalist Pinki Virani, seeks the apex court's intervention to direct the King's Edward Memorial Hospital to stop feeding Aruna and allow her to die.

The court had issued notices to the Centre and the Maharashtra government on the petition, observing that "under the law of the country, we cannot allow a person to die". more

Truth: Counseling For Most People Averts Requests For Suicide

More truth in the Canadian hearings on assisted sucide.

Help should always precede assisted suicide says expert

If people, no matter how determined, get appropriate help for their physical symptoms, their psychological problems, then generally they do want to live.

Social services professionals attending a one-day conference on suicide on Feb. 3 in Laval were told by a suicide prevention expert that statistics reveal that persons contemplating assisted suicide tend to abandon the idea if they are relieved of the pain driving them to desperation. more