More Push-Back To The Pro-Deathers In Quebec

More push-back against assisted sucide and euthanasia in Quebec - good!!

Assisted suicide debated in Quebec

GATINEAU (CCN)—As Quebec marked Suicide Prevention Week (Jan.30—Feb.5), the Select Committee on Dying with Dignity held hearings here testing support for legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The irony did not escape Linda Couture, who directs Living with Dignity, a grassroots, non-religious organization that has been monitoring the hearings as the committee travels across Quebec. Living with Dignity is also marshaling opposition from a wide range of groups and individuals to any changes to the law or its enforcement. more

More New Zealand Spin About Euthanasia

Well, a debate about euthanasia would be OK as long as it was even handed. This New Zealand piece is hardly that - just more spin for how killing s the only answer to end of life challenges.

Debate needed on voluntary euthanasia

Picton woman Ann David is a member of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New Zealand. As the election campaign warms up, she questions the legislation on assisted deaths.

So the election is on and the courting of constituents will begin.

I wonder which politician will make a stand for the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia. more

Hawaii Slaps Down Assisted Suicide Proposal - Good

Good news – the pro-deathers have been slapped down in Hawaii. However, be vigilant – they’ll be back next year, trust me.

Senate panel fails to advance Death With Dignity bill

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After listening to hours of testimony, state lawmakers decided to hold a bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide. The vote by members of the Senate Health Committee essentially kills Senate Bill 803 relating to death with dignity. more

Having Kids As Spare-Part Producers

Savior siblings are children produced specifically because they have compatible bodies to a brother or sister who has some kind of medical or genetic problem. The idea is to then use the savior sibling’s cells, etc., to help the other sibling that is ill. For right now, what’s harvested is blood or cells – but who is to say that next won’t be harvesting kidneys or even hearts?

Saviour sibling born in France

A “SAVIOUR sibling” baby has been born in France for the first time.

The controversial concept, called a bébé médicament (medicine baby) in French, refers to a couple having a child by in vitro fertilisation to provide an organ or cell transplant to a brother or sister who is ill. more

Panel Debate: Aruna, India's Terri Schiavo

Here's a panel debate over the proposed euthanasia of Aruna, India's Terri Schiavo.

TV Report: Latest On India's Terri Schiavo

Here's a woman who has been in a persistent unresponsive state for many years. Suddenly some people (not her caregivers, thank goodness) want to kill her. Can we say the pro-deathers have reached India? Seems like it to me.

Debate On Hawaii Pro-Death Bill Begins

Hawaii today took up a legalized assisted suicide bill today. This report also has a link to the bill.

Hawaii Legislature takes up assisted suicide

HONOLULU (AP) — Physician-assisted suicide would be legal in Hawaii under a bill being heard in the state Senate on Monday. more

Dutch Doctors Reluctant To Report Killing Babies With Disabilities

I’m shocked, I tell you!! Looks like doctor perceptions in the Netherlands see killing infants with disabilities as not worthy of reporting under the Netherlands laws for reporting euthanasia. Researchers posed an fictitious case to doctors & asked them how they would react. Read this (a Google translate of the original Dutch) and weep for the poor children.

Euthanasia for babies reported

Termination of life in severely disabled babies is rarely reported. more

More On Idaho Looking To Criminalize Assisted Suicide

Here’s more on the Idaho push to criminalize assisted suicide.

Banning Assisted Suicide

Boise, ID -- Physician assisted suicide could soon be a crime in Idaho.  State Senator Russ Fulcher pitched the law to the Senate State Affairs Committee Friday morning. This piece of legislation is meant to be a road block for those who support what they call "aid in dying." more

Push-Back Against Legalizing Euthanasia in Quebec

The pro-deathers would have us believe that legalized euthanasia is a fait accompli in Quebec. Not so, here’s a report of some stiff opposition.

Quebec groups question need for euthanasia, assisted suicide

As provincial hearings on "dying with dignity" wrapped up in Montreal Friday, two groups representing some of society's most vulnerable raised concerns about legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide.

MONTREAL — As provincial hearings on "dying with dignity" wrapped up in Montreal Friday, two groups representing some of society's most vulnerable raised concerns about legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide. more

German Doctors Tilting Towards Assisted Suicide

Oh, so priceless – now German doctors are starting to think that assisted suicide is OK. Remember, assisted suicide and euthanasia were hallmarks of their dark Nazi past, something that seems to have already been forgotten. Frightening.

German doctors set to support assisted suicide

The professional association for German doctors may soon relax its disapproval of physician assisted suicide. President of the Bundesärztekammer (BAK, or National Medical Association), Jörg-Diettrich Hoppe, says that new guidelines are being finalised and will be published in the first half of the year. more

Pro-Death Bill In Hawaii

Hawaiians pay attention: Pro-death bill to begin its journey next Monday.

Physician Assisted Suicide Bill (SB 803)  Scheduled for Hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee

The physician-assisted suicide bill (SB 803 entitled Death with Dignity) has been scheduled by the Senate Health Committee.  This bill, if passed, would allow a terminally ill, competent adult to receive medication to end life. Prohibits mercy killings, lethal injections, and active euthanasia. This bill also allows an alternate doctor to replace the attending doctor if latter declines to prescribe. more

How The Pro-Death Media & Hollywood Conspire

The HBO movie about Jack Kevorkian, “You Don’t Know Jack,” is just surfacing in the UK. This interview with Pacino, who played Kevorkian in the movie, is an exemplar of how the media and movie stars conspire to spread the pro-death, pro-Kevorkian lies.

You Don't Know Jack: Al Pacino interview

“I don’t think a lot of people can really say that they know Jack Kevorkian,” Al Pacino explains, in his distinctive, gently growling tones. “The image the media created of him was so extensive, but as you get to know him, you get a sense of someone quite different.” more

Idaho Moves To Criminalize Assisted Suicide - Good For Idaho!

An Idaho Senator wants to introduce legislation to make assisted suicide a crime. Good for him. Cue the pro-deathers with flames and arrows about how “uncaring,” “unfeeling,” and “disingenuous” the senator is. Oh yes, and that he’s trying to deny people the “human right” to kill themselves or be killed by other “friends.”

Meridian Republican will pitch law banning physician-assisted suicide in Idaho

One Idaho lawmaker wants the state to join with more than 30 others in making physician assisted suicide a crime in the Gem State. Neighboring states Oregon and Washington have laws specifically allowing aid in dying. more

Art Caplan Thinks OR & WA Assisted Suicide Laws Have "Safeguards." Really???

Speaking of Art Kaplan (see below) check out this interview starting at about 14:00. Caplan tells us how safe and wonderful assisted suicide laws in Oregon and Washington state are, and that they’re not abused. Is he serious????

Point of Inquiry Host: Chris Mooney

Our guest this week is Arthur Caplan, sometimes called the country's "most quoted bioethicist" and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. In this wide ranging episode, Caplan discusses not only the latest issues and problems in his field, but also how those issues have changed over time.

Fresh from the ideological fights of the Bush administration-over culture war issues like stem cells, cloning, and Terri Schiavo-bioethicists like Caplan are now more focused on practical matters like access to healthcare. And so is the country as a whole. more

Art Caplan Is Too Optimistic

Transparency alert: Art Caplan, commenting on something I said quite a while ago, called me a “cockeyed optimist.” I took that as a compliment. What he says in this piece is mostly useful, but he’s spinning nevertheless. He’s at pains (sorry) to say that if you choose all kinds of medical care at the end of your life, no prob. Really? This in a world where doctors are trained first and foremost as utilitarian bean counters and where whatever fine document you have saying what you want is easily overridden by doctor power? Now, maybe I can return the compliment.

Not a 'Death Panel': Call it 'Quality of Life'

I'm Art Caplan from the Center of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Today I'd like to talk to you a little bit about end-of-life care planning. This has been a very controversial issue. At first, the Obama health reform included financial incentives for doctors to talk with their patients about end-of-life care planning, but it has been withdrawn from legislation because there has been pushback. Some people are arguing that this is a kind of rationing or almost a form of death panel discussion where you're trying to persuade people not to use medical resources. more

Sri Lankan Doctor Opposes Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

Here’s a good summary of UK events by a Sri Lankan doctor who is obviously opposed to the pro-deathers. I hope he’s organizing opposition for when the pro-deathers turn up n Sri Lanka and start calling for the “human right” of assisted suicide or euthanasia in that part of the world.

New medical group advocates assisted suicide

With ageing populations and rising incidence of non- communicable diseases globally and with 56 million people dying each year worldwide, where death is associated with substantial but preventable suffering, assisted dying is once again in the media spotlight. more

Euthanasia Spoof Hits Close To Home

It’s not often in this line of work that we get to chuckle – even in a distinctly macabre kind of way. The piece below is a spoof of a visitor to a hospital who’s almost dragged off to be euthanized by mistake. Perhaps one reason it’s so darkly funny is that it’s probably close to the truth in some backwater somewhere.

Local Man Narrowly Escapes Euthanasia in Nursing Home Identity Mix Up!

Local man and good samaritan Melvin Wordsmithe narrowly avoided death, or worse, during a recent visit to the local Nursing Home where he and stalwart Therapy Dog, Bear, provide weekly visits to the infirm of mind and body. more

Canada: Doctor Power Flexes Its Arrogant Muscle

Doctor power at it’s most arrogant: In Canada, doctors are refusing to let a dying child go home with hi family until he dies. Remember: Doctors don’t always side with you or your loved ones – beware!

Shattered Ontario parents fight to bring ailing baby home to die

WINDSOR, Ont. — The parents of a dying baby are taking doctors in Ontario to court in hopes their little boy will be able to spend his last days at home, surrounded by family. more

Assisted Suicide Double Standard In Washington State

This is hilarious (well, not really). Man helps his friend commit suicide and he’s arrested!! This in Washington State where assisted suicide is legal!! Seems to me there’s a double standard here, unless the authorities are going to argue that assisted suicide is exclusively the purview of the state. I’ll keep you posted.

Spokane Man Arrested For Promoting Suicide

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A Spokane man was arrested Monday on three charges of obstructing a police investigation and a single count of promoting a suicide attempt in relation to the death of William Pickard last June. more

Idaho Tries To Make Sure Living Wills Are Honored

This is what we’ve come to, folks – in Idaho, they’re trying to get a bill introduced that will ensure that advance directives are honored by doctors. Aren’t we lucky to live in such screwed-up times?

Loertscher mulls killing bill to protect dying patients’ wishes in living wills

House State Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, says he hasn't decided whether or not to allow a hearing on legislation from Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, to amend Idaho's “conscience law” to ensure that patients' living wills and advanced care directives are followed - but he's  leaning against it. “I'm prone not to,” Loertscher told Eye on Boise. “It's only been in effect for six months or less. Let's see how it goes for a while.” more

New Tasmania Premier Is A Pro-Deather

The pro-deathers will no doubt be back now that they have a prominent politician who thinks killing people is just dandy. If you live in Tasmania, be afraid, very afaid.

Tasmania’s new premier backs euthanasia

The new Premier of the Australian state of Tasmania has promised to back a voluntary euthanasia bill. Lara Giddings, a 38-year-old career Labor politician, has stepped into the leadership after David Bartlett resigned to spend more time with his young family. more

UK Courts Clueless In Understanding What Murder Is

Yes, George Webb committed murder, and the courts let him off by excusing his behavior as assisting in a sucide, gaily ignoring the fact that (on the books at least) assisted suicide is still illegal in the UK. And no, it wasn't a "mercy killing."

Mercy killing: not a case of assisted suicide

Seventy-three year old George Webb successfully overturned a two year sentence of imprisonment for the manslaughter of his wife. An influential composition of the Court of Appeal ruled that the ‘unique’ case merited a suspended sentence.

Webb was convicted of smothering his ailing 75-year-old wife after she had attempted to take her own life and the facts of the case clearly showed that the defendant was under severe pressure out of concern for his wife, which was affecting his mental condition. This was clearly the basis for the diminished responsibility verdict. more

Canadian Medicos Call For Better Palliative Care

Yes, yes. Palliative care, palliative care, palliative care.

Navigating the spheres of assisted death

The issues of assisted death and palliative care in Canada should be discussed in the context of human rights, states a commentary published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

While the topic of assisted death has been a recent discussion in Canada, we cannot address until the issue of equal access to palliative care has been resolved. In Canada, at least 70% of residents lack access to palliative care and for those who do have access, it is inequitable. more

Aussie Bishop Speaks Out Against Legalized Killing

The good bishop is right about legalized killing corrupting society. No doubt he’ll be marginalized by the pro-deathers as a crazy religious nut.

Euthanasia a bad law by bad people, says bishop

EUTHANASIA was contrary to the ideals of justice and charity and would corrupt society, a Catholic bishop has warned the legal fraternity.

The Bishop of Parramatta, Anthony Fisher, used a service at St Mary's Cathedral yesterday attended by the NSW Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos, the shadow attorney-general, Greg Smith, and leading judges and barristers, to warn that ''state-sanctioned killing'' undermined the legitimacy of the state and its criminal law. more