All posts by Stephen Drake

Slippery Slopes, Political Realities and Comparing British Apples with American Oranges in Assisted Suicide Debate

July 16, 2014assisted suicide, euthanasia, incrementalism, Our News & Commentary Blog, Tom Shakespeare, United Kingdomassisted suicide, David Mayo, euthanasia, incremental strategies, Tom Shakespeare, United KingdomStephen Drake

On Friday, July 18, the British House of Lords will be considering Lord Falconer’s bill to legalize assisted suicide yet again. Naturally, this has resulted in a real uptick in public debate on the topic, some of which we’ll share and discuss here later. Right now, I want to focus on a strategy being used … Continue reading Slippery Slopes, Political Realities and Comparing British Apples with American Oranges in Assisted Suicide Debate →

UK: Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Appeal Dismissed By Court

June 25, 2014Our News & Commentary Blogassisted suicide, Court Decisions, euthanasia, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Not Dead Yet UK, United KingdomStephen Drake

From www.politics.co.uk: Supreme court judges have dismissed a bid to effectively make euthanasia legal in the UK, after months of deliberating behind the scenes. A majority of the panel of nine judges upheld the decision of the high court that existing laws preventing doctors from assisting with suicides do not infringe the rights to privacy … Continue reading UK: Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Appeal Dismissed By Court →

“Getting Away With Murder” – Australian Killers of Disabled People Get Sympathy from Public and Courts

June 20, 2014Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

From Ramp-Up: Media reports on homicides of people with disability, particularly those with intellectual disability, are frequently sugar-coated and euphamised. This only serves to diminish the value of those who have lost their lives, writes Craig Wallace and Samantha Connor. Suicide is anything but painless. So we should share sympathy for the loved ones of … Continue reading “Getting Away With Murder” – Australian Killers of Disabled People Get Sympathy from Public and Courts →

R U Ready? Portlight Strategies, Emergency Preparedness and Media Awareness, April 1 – 7. Share Your Stories!

March 31, 2014Our News & Commentary Blogdisability advocacy, disaster preparedness, media alert, storiesStephen Drake

I’m getting this out a little later than I’d planned due to getting hit hard with a nasty cold late last week. What follows is an important effort regarding the safety and welfare of people with disabilities (and other underserved folks) in areas where disaster strikes. I’m cutting and pasting the alert from Portlight Strategies … Continue reading R U Ready? Portlight Strategies, Emergency Preparedness and Media Awareness, April 1 – 7. Share Your Stories! →

Diane Coleman, John Kelly and Marilyn Golden Quoted in U.S. News & World Report Article on “Right to Die”

March 24, 2014diane coleman, john kelly, Marilyn Golden, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blogassisted suicide, Diane Coleman, John Kelly, Marilyn Golden, media coverageStephen Drake

Today, March 24th, the U.S. News & World Report site published an article titled “Is There a Right to Die?” The article focuses mainly on the current battle around assisted suicide legislation in Connecticut. The most remarkable aspect of this article is that about half of it is devoted to quotes from disability activists, who … Continue reading Diane Coleman, John Kelly and Marilyn Golden Quoted in U.S. News & World Report Article on “Right to Die” →