…o anyone who has a disability or lacks human dignity. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other national news outlets are reporting about the Bill Baxter case. For those unfamiliar with Baxter he died of cancer and fought not to live but die with the help of his doctor. Montana’s highest court will decide this week if Mr. Baxter’s claim a doctor’s refusal to help him die violated his rights under the Montana’s State Constitution. This woul…
…having limited social circles and one wonders what happened to Kelly’s social supports as her mobility impairments increased. But, in the framework of this story, no one is encouraged to think along those lines. Kelly’s death is seen as almost inevitable and as a deserved act of compassion toward herself. Kind of like a hot bubble bath at the end of the day. (yes, that’s sarcasm) In retrospect, it’s not surprising that the Arizona Daily Star would…
…nter For Self-Determination, National Council on Independent Living, National Spinal Cord Injury Association, American Association of People with Disabilities, and Disability Rights New Jersey joined the brief as co-amici. Here’s a summary of the case taken from the introduction of the NDY amicus brief: Trinitas Hospital, the institution where Mr. Betancourt resided from July 3, 2008, until May 29, 2009, determined of its own accord to withdraw li…
…he court renders a written opinion in this matter, it will be enormously influential not only in New Jersey but across the United States and even abroad. In case you’re wondering, that means that Pope took the same side as NDY and other disability rights groups in this case. His brief is available online in PDF (scanned document). To get more information on the history of this case, and other briefs, go to the Medical Futility Blog and type “betan…
…t and his editor screwed it up. I apologize for jumping to conclusions. Since it’s not the first time I’ve seen an editor to damage to a reporter’s factual account, I should have considered that possibility. When I posted this on Facebook, a couple of people who participated in the protest were really floored. One person remembered it as being to wet and cold that day to move, since the protest they engaged in wasn’t a violent one. Bill Peace has…
