Category Archives: reality check

Tom Shakespeare Makes a Less Than Honest Case For Assisted Suicide

assisted suicide, bioethics, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, Tom Shakespeare, United Kingdom

Tom Shakespeare is well-known in the disability community in the UK. In the US, it’s mostly the disability studies community that is familiar with him. Shakespeare has his feet planted in the realms of disability rights, bioethics and disability studies. Over the past couple of years, Shakespeare has taken a strong position favoring legalization of … Continue reading Tom Shakespeare Makes a Less Than Honest Case For Assisted Suicide →

UK: Jane Campbell – “Assisted dying: not in our name”

assisted suicide, legislation, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, Switzerland, United Kingdom

The latest move by euthanasia activists in the U.K. is a proposal to extend immunity from prosecution to family members taking terminally ill or disabled people to Switzerland for assistance in committing suicide. Jane Campbell (Baroness Campbell of Surbiton) has written a concise attack on the rationale for granting such immunity in today’s edition of … Continue reading UK: Jane Campbell – “Assisted dying: not in our name” →

Final Exit Network: Investigation Expanding and Members Expounding (or Obscuring)

assisted suicide, crime and punishment, final exit network, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check

The apparent suicide by Phyllis Hixson, in Athens County OH, is being investigated for possible involvement by members of the Final Exit Network (FEN). The group claims that no one from FEN was present. But that doesn’t matter to Hixson’s younger sister, Jerri Rosson: She blames the Final Exit Network for providing the plans and … Continue reading Final Exit Network: Investigation Expanding and Members Expounding (or Obscuring) →

Bad Cripple Shares Scary Thoughts About How Many People with SCI Needlessly Die

"end of life", devaluation, medical decisionmaking, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, william peace

First, housekeeping: I’m saving my thoughts, etc. on Terrie’s story until tomorrow. I’ve removed the “part 1” from the title of the blog post with her story since it really doesn’t belong there. In the meantime, William Peace at BadCripple read Terrie’s story and it caused some scary thoughts and memories to surface: Excerpt: I … Continue reading Bad Cripple Shares Scary Thoughts About How Many People with SCI Needlessly Die →

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

Art Caplan, assisted suicide, barbara coombs lee, blog recommendations, Kevorkian, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, Timothy Quill

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 →