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.
I never suggested that you supported death panels.
LOL
I think we need to define terms. Insurance companies have utilization review boards who look at cases, treatment given, and ask these questions:
Why is this person still in the hospital?
Can this be done in an outpatient setting?
Is the treatment proposed experimental?
Could the complications have been prevented?
Here in CA there was a huge uproar that caught the attention of the state media involving a teenage girl with leukemia, whose chemotherapy had destroyed her liver. The doc wanted as a last ditch effort to do a liver transplant. The problem is that chemotherapy and transplants are oil and water in a way. If you have one, you cannot do the other because of the issues of rejection, immunosuppression etc. The insurance denied it. There was a great amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the decision. Was this a “death panel”?
I also have seen cases of severe anoxic brain injury where the patient is extremely unstable, and also depends on a ventilator and dialysis. The family cannot understand why God let this happen and demand maximum treatment. Months pass and we need to address placement. The only facilities that can take her 200 miles away. The families refuse the placement. Should they pay for the extra days of stay? Is the ethics committee a death panel because they try to show the families the futility of the treatment? What if the nephrologist decides on his own to stop dialysis? The patient is on medi-cal and they will not pay for any of the dialysis alternatives that have been brainstormed. Is that a death panel?
I’m not making any of this up, it all happens. I’m not trying to argue with you either. It is just that we throw around these volatile terms like death panels for shock value without realizing it is already happening in one way or another. The biggest factor is who is going to pay for all of this.
“I used to think that I was pro-Life, but I’m beginning to favor assisted suicide for politicians.”
You must be channeling General George Patton, who said politicians were the lowest form of human life on earth. He went on to say that Liberal politicians are the lowest form of politician.
This topic makes me sick wag.. I am an old nurse, I could never imagine doing anything to hasten or cause death. The idea of withholding fluids is horrible, this is not a painless death... it is a dripless torture .
We had to put our 11 year old dog “to sleep” 3 years ago and I have yet to resolve this decision.. I keep asking “what if we had done this or that instead.. “ My heart still has guilt over putting down my best friend ..I could not imagine making that decision about a family member or stranger
These arrogant politicians think this will not affect them... but scripture tells us “the measure you use to measure others will be used to measure you”
The chickens will come home to roost
Indeed they will!
He died at 86, the chemo was taking it's toll on him. But I was harassed for years about taking him off it when he clearly wanted it. I wondered why since he paid his way. I guess they got all they could & wanted another open bed. I didn't think he had a great quality of life but as long as he wanted to live I felt he had that right. I now believe that people like my dad won't have that option.
Situational ethics scenarios.
Always a sure sign of a troll.
LOL!!!!!
I notice how eager liberals are to kill off others but don’t see them volunteering for the job (of being killed off).
I wonder how they’d feel if it were their parent.
What if the 39 year old man was your husband, father, or son?
What if the 39 year old woman was your wife, mother, or daughter?
LOL!
*************************
I'm guessing option #2.
Wait a few years. Obama is going to guarantee we see these scenarios as a common experience.
Once we allow them we are on a very slippery slope.
If we can pick and choose over a ventilator, why not penicillin or a bandage. If the decision has already been made that we can put a price tag on human life, there is NOTHING to stop that price from being lowered when it suits an agenda.
That's what they are advocating, whether they realize it or not.
Agreed. We have to fight this every step of the way.
I think some of those who are swayed by this argument may be young and naive, but many realize exactly what is at stake. So I wonder, is RC young and naive, or does he/she understand what the culture of death is really all about?
The Er in question would likely transfer one of them to a different hospital.
They basically granny-napped my dad. Said he needed 24/7 care which I could do at home but he didn't want to live in my zoo lol. They made him go back home where he was able in his wheelchair to cook & we did have help for him but they said noway....Had they left him to make his own personal choice he would have died at home IMHO. Instead they robbed him of making his own choices which royally pist me off. He could have lived in his own home for years & been much happier before going into the nursing home. IF he lived that long... They were so pushy about stopping the chemo that I flipped out on the staff at one point. The only good thing I can say was Hospice was wonderful. Near the very end I went out & bought a Breathe air freshener machine which uses scent & water. It made a nice peaceful blue light & he seemed to like it. We added lavender scent. He was dying & Hospice was massaging him with lavender anyway. The social worker told me she read lavender made breathing difficult & told me to take it away. Thankfully Hospice stepped in. Here they were telling me to take him off the chemo so he would die & when I get something to make his passing more comfortable they want to forbid it since it might make him pass faster. Does that make any sense??? Hospice thought it was a great idea & liked the machine. I was so mad at that nursing home that I went & took everything out of his account when I found it was going to go to them. I bought a stereo & all the cd's that my mom & dad loved. I cleaned that account out. In the end I have to say my dad passed in peace with my youngest son & myself at his side. For a man who was really afraid of death we did the best we could & I think it went better then I thought it would thank the Lord. We donated everything to Hospice, maybe it would help another person.
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