Today’s NY Times includes a story on the Final Exit Network (FEN) by Robbie Brown titled “Arrests Draw New Attention to Assisted Suicide.”
The article’s strongest point is that it clearly states the allegations by an agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation posing as a man with cancer wanting the group’s assistance in planning his suicide:
According to the agent’s affidavit, network members instructed him to buy a helium tank and a plastic “exit mask.”
Thomas E. Goodwin, who was the network president at the time, and Claire Blehr, a member, planned to hold down the agent’s hands while helium flowed into the mask, the affidavit says.
The agent would lose consciousness within seconds and die within minutes, and the guides would remove evidence from the scene.
“They went through a dry run just to let the agent know what would happen,” Mr. Bankhead said. “Mr. Goodwin got on top of the agent and held down both of his hands,” which investigators say would have prevented him from removing the mask if he had changed his mind during a real suicide.
A passing mention is made of the group’s willingness to give “assistance” to people who are “incurably ill” and “suffering.”
The matter drops there, though, leaving the representatives of pro-assisted suicide groups free to criticize the “underground” nature of the activities of FEN.
For what it’s worth, here’s my contribution, lifted out of about 20 minutes of conversation with the reporter:
“These are people who instead of pulling you back from the ledge, they shove you off,” said Stephen Drake, a research analyst for Not Dead Yet, an advocacy group for the disabled that opposes assisted suicide. “Legally, we may not know what this means. But in a personal sense, it can mean the difference between life and death.”
I recall having more to say than that – about the widespread support within pro-assisted suicide advocacy organizations for broader “eligibility” – but that isn’t the kind of approach this particular reporter – or any reporter so far – had in mind. –Stephen Drake
Found the statistics on attempts verus deaths: “Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention
In 2004, it was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 32,439 deaths. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people.
An estimated eight to 25 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death. (2007).
So if FEN has no survivors, that tells you a lot in my opinion.
I recall having more to say than that – about the widespread support within pro-assisted suicide advocacy organizations for broader “eligibility” – but that isn’t the kind of approach this particular reporter – or any reporter so far – had in mind.
The sentiment was not a good one the first day I saw it here in Georgia.. No time would be “good” but it couldn’t get much worse than now for being the worst timing possible for this to go as viral as it has, meaning the economy and everyone looking to cut corners right and left..
Seriously.
Everyone keeps throwing around the “s” word as though that instantly makes it ok to murder another..
“s” as in “suffering”..
$$, eugenics, and the convenience of others.. As far as I will always be concerned, those are what this topic is all about..
Cyber hugs from North Georgia..
Alison,
thank you for the stats. I agree that the “no survivor” rate tells a lot to anyone who gives it more than a moment of thought.
Butterfly,
We’re kind of seeing the slippery slope political strategy play out. The first phase involved getting people to view suicide for those close to death as “aid in dying.” Now that is pretty well accepted and the next phase is starting – it’s all about the “suffering” of old, ill, disabled people. –Stephen
Hi..
Was hoping you left that kind of door open, Stephen.. Just a little bit ago read the newest onslaught to be hitting the media circuit in the last few hours apparently..
It’s the (latest..?) article that you’re in, Right-to-die fight is disabled man’s will to live (International Herald Times, Global Edition of the New York Times).. Ultimately it’s an Associated Press (AP) piece circulating the Net..
Talk about a prime example of your basic media bias..
It wreaks of “suffering” this, that, and the other thing along with the implied “poor, pitiful”.. The icing on the cake was at the very bottom of the article where they sure make it dadgum easy to click and contact FEN but do not have anything else to balance that out when all is said and done.. They’ve drawn the line precisely where they stand on the issue, for sure..
They let their feelings be known, that is for sure..
Going to git.. You all are always in my thoughts..
Cindy Sue