Category Archives: barbara coombs lee

CNN: “Choosing death can be like a ‘birth,’ advocates say” – NDY and NCD perspectives included

Two interesting and fairly unusual related things happened over the last two weeks. First, CNN reporter Elizabeth Landau contacted both NDY and the National Council on Disability (NCD) for interviews in connection to a story on assisted suicide.  This was surprising considering that when CNN ran a mini-media tour with Jack Kevorkian during the promotion … Continue reading CNN: “Choosing death can be like a ‘birth,’ advocates say” – NDY and NCD perspectives included

Surprise! Compassion & Choices Weighs in on Arizona Final Exit Network Trial Outcome

Not exactly a big surprise, but Compassion and Choices (aka “Conflation & Con Jobs“) has weighed in on the disappointing outcome of the trial of Final Exit Network (FEN) members in Arizona.  I am cynical enough to believe that reporters who use this press release from the organization are too shallow, lazy or generally lacking … Continue reading Surprise! Compassion & Choices Weighs in on Arizona Final Exit Network Trial Outcome

Connecticut: Assisted Suicide Advocates Attempt to Exploit Tragic Murder-Suicide

On Monday of this week (May 10), there was one of those all-too-familiar tragedies that appear in the news on a regular basis.  In the one of the earliest and most comprehensive articles covering the story, reporter Ann DeMatteo wrote an article titled “North Haven deaths believed to be murder-suicide“: NORTH HAVEN — A well-known … Continue reading Connecticut: Assisted Suicide Advocates Attempt to Exploit Tragic Murder-Suicide

Phil. Inquirer: Art Caplan Delivers Some Truth About Kevorkian, But Misses (or Evades) His Real Impact on Assisted Suicide Movement

On Monday, June 8, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an op-ed by bioethicist Art Caplan. Expressing his concern over the news that Al Pacino plans to play Jack Kevorkian in a movie for HBO, Caplan thought it was time to do some preemptive truth-telling about Jack Kevorkian. His commentary is titled “The truth: Kevorkian was less … Continue reading Phil. Inquirer: Art Caplan Delivers Some Truth About Kevorkian, But Misses (or Evades) His Real Impact on Assisted Suicide Movement

Chicago NDY Confronts Chicago “End of Life” Care Coalition and Barbara Coombs Lee

On Monday, April 20, the Chicago “End of Life” Care Coalition hosted an event titled “Options in ‘End of Life’ Care: The Legal, the Personal and the Controversial.” Eyebrows – and tempers – rose in the disability community when the conference flyer came out. For the past couple of months, the biggest “end of life” … Continue reading Chicago NDY Confronts Chicago “End of Life” Care Coalition and Barbara Coombs Lee