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.
Plenty of deathbots are also truthers.
Let me guess. You’re pro killing off the old and infirm, too.
Child sacrifice is a human tradition too. It's still murder.
Immoral is immoral, no matter how long it's been practiced.
It doesn't stop being immoral after a certain number of years pass.
I don’t know. WHat do you call someone who is willing and eager to kill off others?
Mercenary?
Hit man?
Followers of Baal?
Baal-bot?
I’m fairly certain that slavery is a human tradition as well.
So you wouldn't discriminate against any of your patients based on those criteria? What about their disabilities, mental capacity, emotional status, etc? How safe would a patient with a severe brain injury be on your shift? Would an elderly woman with Alzheimer's Disease stand a chance around you? How about a man with advanced Parkinson's Disease? Is anyone safe around you?
sure and you can agree that there are times when running IV fluids simply hastens death and/or necessitate extraordinary measures and are, therefore, contraindicated.
How safe would a patient with a severe brain injury be on your shift?
you would be safe, don't worry
I’m not the one claiming that withholding care is murder. I’m not the one arguing about some “culture of death”.
Your comment makes it obvious how little respect you have for your patients, especially the ones with brain injuries. Do you make those insulting comments in their presence? Do you try to keep them from hearing you talk about killing them, or do you just blurt it out right in front of them?
I agree.
Yes, but these times are the exceptions, not the rule.
In palliative and hospice care, many patients die by withdrawal of hydration that are still able to assimilate IV fluids. It is a terribly common form of euthanasia that is becoming so common as to be routine.
Abortions are down to about 1.2 million per year. But euthanasia by withdrawal of hydration and terminal sedation is already happening in the hundreds of thousands per year, and is going to explode under ObamaCare.
Does that not trouble you?
Death cultists are the new neanderthals.
Conception to natural death. This doesn’t necessarily mean millions of dollars change hands! The money argument is simply a red herring - the fog of war between the death cultists and the actual faith based people.
Additionally, even atheists know what a murder is. Terri Schiavo had atheists rooting for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them found Christ while they were at the Vigil.
Thank you for your reasoned reply. It is good to see someone responding without resorting to calling everyone nazis, without trying to put words in mouths to the effect that we want to just kill people who are worthless.
For the record I would like to state that I am against active euthanasia. Every patient that died in my care under orders for “comfort care” the decision was made by the family, in fact many times requested that their loved ones be made as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. Whatever request they made for comfort be it medication, food or water, whatever, I was glad to do it.
Now as far as your question, the family in discussion would have liked to take their sister home and care for her at home, that had taken care of a family member at home before and were able to do so. The sticky wicket was the dialysis. No outpatient clinic will give a chair to a vegetative patient. Period. There is too much competition. Too many patients that are waiting for kidneys, functioning as normal as possible and not enough slots. There was simply no reasonable alternative. Plus the family was against placement farther than 1 hour drive.
I agree with this statement. It makes a big difference. You are absolutely on target.
“Is anyone safe around you?”
No. Any suitable expression of the horror and disgust this alleged person’s remarks arouse would see me banned from this site.
He’s a monster. A moral leper. A serial murderer.
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