Category Archives: Our News & Commentary Blog

On December 28th, the NY Times Magazine published an edition titled “The Lives They Lived,” which consisted of 24 essays about notable people who passed away in 2008. One of the individuals selected for inclusion in the issue was disability rights lawyer/activist/writer/lecturer Harriet McBryde Johnson. Not long after that, Paul Longmore, historian and Director of … Continue reading Peter Singer’s “Tribute” to Harriet Johnson – and Paul Longmore’s Response →

Emergency Workers Accused of Letting Man Die – And then the Media Engages in a Posthumous Assault

January 12, 2009blog recommendations, crime and punishment, media coverage, neglect, Our News & Commentary Blog, professional accountability, wrongful deathStephen Drake

U.K. — This news is making the rounds of blogs and newsgroups. Two ambulance workers in the U.K. have been suspended from work and booked on charges of “neglecting to perform a duty” in a case that initially caused shock. One of the earliest news stories about the incident came out on December 31, from … Continue reading Emergency Workers Accused of Letting Man Die – And then the Media Engages in a Posthumous Assault →

UK: Disability Campaigners Press For Law Enforcement on Assisted Suicides

January 9, 2009advocacy, assisted suicide, crime and punishment, Our News & Commentary Blog, United KingdomStephen Drake

As readers of this blog and others covering similar issues will know, there has been a lot of intense media attention and promotion on assisted suicide in the U.K. In spite of “right to die” advocates’ claims of a narrow agenda, the media circus hasn’t been limited to people in the last stages of a … Continue reading UK: Disability Campaigners Press For Law Enforcement on Assisted Suicides →

Breaking News – Swiss Euthanasia Organization Being Investigated for Possible Profiteering

January 8, 2009assisted suicide, crime and punishment, euthanasia, george exoo, Our News & Commentary Blog, SwitzerlandStephen Drake

This just coming out of Switzerland, by way of The Telegraph in the U.K.: Dignitas, which is meant to be a non-profit organisation, is being forced to open its accounts to prosecutors in Switzerland and disclose how much money it is receiving from its controversial business of assisting suicide. The founder of the group is … Continue reading Breaking News – Swiss Euthanasia Organization Being Investigated for Possible Profiteering →

Jury Acquits Transplant Surgeon in Ruben Navarro Death

December 24, 2008crime and punishment, Our News & Commentary Blog, professional accountability, Ruben Navarro, safeguardsStephen Drake

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the depressing and alarming story of Ruben Navarro, who died hours after a botched attempt and a “controlled death” and organ harvesting. This occurred under a protocol still not used widely, but on the increase – labeled “donation by cardiac death (DCD).” This appears to be a … Continue reading Jury Acquits Transplant Surgeon in Ruben Navarro Death →