Posted on 05/23/2010 10:11:46 AM PDT by wagglebee
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.
Rubel Shelly is president of Rochester College and professor of philosophy and religion at the college.
The culture of death has ALWAYS singled out certain groups and made their existence the "reason" to advance their agenda. Free Republic is conservative, so the deathbots here use illegal aliens as the rationalization, I'm sure that the DUmmies just blame it on the Jews.
BS, we’re talking about HC reform issues and illegal aliens are fair game in that debate. so answer the freaking question.
Apparently your only argument is made of straw.
Funny how the “culture of lifers” can’t answer that simple question though, isn’t it?
I figured you would get around to this sooner or later.
What's the price? Give us a dollar amount after which a person is deemed "useless" and killed.
The book below should interest you, who knows one of your acquaintances may even have a copy.
![](http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm9/wagglebee/euthanasia.jpg?t=1221694000%22";)
apparently you’re a hypocrite. big shock.
Redefining an issue rather than formulating an argument is a typical liberal strategy. So is using vulgar language.
answer the question hypocrite.
answer the question hypocrite.
What question is that?
It's very revealing how you have just put yourself in OPPOSITION to those who believe in the sanctity of life.
I see we hit a nerve.
hmmm... Do you remember what you yourself post here from one minute to the next?
Let me remind you of your post -post # 10: "there's only one ventilator. Both patients need it immediately. which patient gets it?"
Are you now suggesting the premise of a shortage of ventilators in your straw man argument was intentional?
Care to answer or will you continue sidestepping?
Ah, name calling. More liberal strategy.
Now I'm just asking a simple question and yet I can't seam to get any kind of answer. Shouldn't tax payers be paying for everyone's healthcare so nobody dies, so we don't fall into a "culture of death"? Isn't that the Christian thing to do?
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The culture of death denies pain in its victims, but never stops wailing about its own feelings.
tell me about it, you have been hurling nothing but ad hominem since post #33. youre still doing it by calling me a liberal. I’ve got news for you, I’m the conservative in this argument, you’re the socialist. Should tax payers be paying for the healthcare of the uninsured and the illegal aliens? You still haven’t answered that question for some reason? why is that?
Again, start a thread if you want to change the subject.
By the way, this thread is about Jack Kevorkian and physician assisted suicide, in the event that you have forgotten.
No, it’s about the culture of death in case you have forgotten.
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