[wagglebee]

Obamacare could make this nightmare the only permissible treatment.

Thread by me.

Assisted suicide is not the answer for the terminally ill

Revisionist history has been released to an impressionable public in the HBO Movie “You Don’t Know Jack.” Contrary to Al Pacino’s portrayal of Jack Kevorkian that makes him the compassionate defender of patients’ rights, physician-assisted suicide enters a world of potential mixed motives and moral chaos.

By any standard, assisted suicide (or active euthanasia) is quite different from simply allowing nature to take its unimpeded course. It is popularly called “mercy killing.” Both morally and practically, this is easily distinguishable from simply permitting the death of a hopelessly ill woman or man (i.e., passive euthanasia). It should be opposed by ethically sensitive people.

Physician-assisted suicide is in direct conflict with our tradition of upholding the sanctity of human life. Whether preserved in the Ten Commandments or the Hippocratic Oath, that tradition says we are to affirm, nurture and give aid to people in pain.

For active euthanasia and assisted suicide will communicate the message that persons who are terminally ill have a duty to get out of the way of the living.

For example, suppose a cancer patient for whom treatment has been ineffective tells his or her family, “I know I’m a terrible burden to you, and I wonder if I shouldn’t just end my own life!”

I can imagine two responses.

“What do you mean!” says one family. “You are central to our lives. We love you, and you could never be a burden to us!” That answer communicates a relationship that inspires a will to live for the patient.

“Perhaps we should think about that,” replies another family member. “You might suffer toward the end, and we’re not really rich enough to hire nurses so you can be cared for while we stay at our jobs.” With such openness to the idea of dying, what feelings are likely to go through the mind of that patient?

Studies show that treatment for depression moves the vast majority of sufferers to think of active euthanasia as unacceptable for themselves. The alternative to making suicide easier and more acceptable is effective palliative care — which includes treatment for depression as well as degenerative disease or injury — and loving concern from family and friends.

In the Netherlands, where active euthanasia by medical personnel has been practiced for some time now, the issue quickly ceased to be assistance to persons requesting it and initiated debates over euthanizing some who had not.

“I don’t care about the law,” Kevorkian once said. “I have never cared about anything but the welfare of the patient in front of me.” What a strange claim from a pathologist who has no experience in the clinical treatment of patients! But most of us do care about the law. We care about law grounded in serious ethical reflection that affirms human worth in ways that affirm people rather than eliminate them when they need us most. Our call is not to become gentle executioners. Instead, it is to provide effective and morally responsible care to the suffering.

[wagglebee]

Terri's Legacy continues to haunt the leftist culture of death.

Thread by me.

Bobby Schindler: Media Attacks Against Terri Schiavo, Schindler Family Continue Five Years Later

As you know, it's been over five years that we all lived through the barbarism of Terri's death. And since Terri died, our family has been astonished to the extent that her brain injury has been the focus of repeated mean-spirited media attacks. If that wasn't enough, the work of Terri's Foundation is now being included in these attacks!

In our last E-Newsletter we informed you about what happened on National television—within days of the anniversary of Terri's death—when an episode of Fox's The Family Guy program parodied Terri with a school play called, "Terri Schiavo: The Musical." (Click on "The Family Guy" icon to read about our continuing on-line petition.)

Recently, a local Florida TV Station smeared the Foundation with a baseless report claiming that we were profiting from our sister's tragedy. The reporter's key witness: Terri's estranged husband, Michael Schiavo.

If that wasn't bad enough, a National radio shock jock, in an act of gross insensitivity, has joined many of his media brethren, boasting that he's glad our Dad is dead, repeatedly making fun of Terri's brain-injury, and is accusing the Foundation of dishonest activity.

It has become painfully clear to us that the secular media has one objective: succeed in making Terri's Foundation go away.

Please know that despite these constant attacks our family and everyone with Terri's Foundation are committed to helping other families and their loved ones.

Terri's Foundation has given support to countless families, and has been actively involved in hundreds of cases, helping families protect their loved ones since Terri's death in 2005.

Indeed, we recognize every day how important your support is to the success of what we are doing. It is because of your generosity that we can continue our non-stop efforts, advocating for these families that are working tirelessly to ensure their loved ones receive proper care.

So thank you for supporting us in this never ending fight against a growing culture that is relentlessly attacking our most vulnerable. With your assistance, we will continue to do what we can to protect the rights of the elderly, the chronically sick and people with profound cognitive brain injuries.

We can stand the Big Media attacks, but we need you to stand with us!

"We will not be silent.
We are your bad conscience.
The White Rose will give you no rest."