Disability Day of Mourning 2023: What Is It, and How Can You Get Involved?

January 30, 2023Our News & Commentary BlogJules Good

…ch are reported in news media. This problem is made worse by irresponsible news coverage which presents these murders as the sympathetic acts of loving and desperate parents, by a justice system which often gives a lighter sentence to a parent who kills a disabled child, and by the dangerous cultural prejudice that says a disabled life is not worth living.” The first Disability Day of Mourning was held in 2012 after the murder of George Hodgins, a…

Time for a Little Humor

October 3, 2007humor, Our News & Commentary Blog, satireStephen Drake

…ith first-degree vehicular manslaughter in the incident, hit Mildred Peters of Portage, MI, with his 1994 Ford Escort in a supermarket parking lot, killing her instantly. “She was clearly in terrible pain,” said Munson, who did not know the woman. “She was moving very slowly, and it was a struggle for her just to push the shopping cart to her car. I don’t even think she would have been able to lift her groceries into the trunk without help. All th…

Haleigh Poutre’s New Life and the Flawed Lessons People are Taking Away From Her Story

August 8, 2014bioethics, haleigh poutre, Our News & Commentary Blog, right to die, rush to judgment, Surrogate Decisions & Guardianship, thaddeus pope, Wesley Smithbioethics, brain injury, child abuse, guardianship, haleigh poutre, Rush to Judgment, Thaddeus Pope, treatment withdrawal, Wesley SmithStephen Drake

…ble irony, the case took enough time to allow Haleigh to improve. In fact, news reports that she was awake and responsive emerged just one day after a judge approved the removal of Haleigh Poutre’s feeding tube. If you’re looking for a hero in this story, you can stop now. There aren’t any. I’m happy to say that there are now “heroes” in Haleigh’s life. By “heroes” I mean people who love her, care for her, and look out for her interests. That’s no…

The Olympian: “Physician-assisted suicide symptom of a broken system,” by Joelle Brouner

September 29, 2007assisted suicide, Our News & Commentary Blog, Washington stateStephen Drake

…ery pressures she talks about. In 1997, Joe Shapiro, then an editor of U.S News & World Report, published a long article on what things looked like in the Netherlands and what it might mean for the U.S. in “Euthanasia’s Home.” He shared this interesting factoid about American motivations, specifically citizens of Washington State: Most Dutch patients–56 percent–seek euthanasia to avoid “useless suffering.” On the other hand, Americans say they are…

Followup on Betancourt v. Trinitas – Reports, Coverage and More

April 28, 2010betancourt v. trinitas, bioethics, court decisions, drawing a line, futility, litigation, new jersey, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…esponse to yesterday’s blog. I’m reproducing it here: I am the daughter of Ruben Betancourt, i went to court today & stood at the door with my mother, listening, i just want to say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart!!! My father was a fighter…& he would be very proud!!!!! We the family unfortunately were unable to file a case against the hospital decision to appeal Judge Malone’s decision, our lawyers at the time said to us that it would be v…