Five Things a “TakePart.com” Author Really DIDN’T Know About Assisted Suicide

June 2, 2011Allan MacDonell, assisted suicide, euthanasia, final exit network, Oregon, Our News & Commentary Blog, pets, reality check, slippery slope, Switzerland, TakePart.comStephen Drake

…than 75 million people. So they’re your typical bunch of affluent and well-connected self-proclaimed progressives who want to somehow put a bunch of different issues into that one box labeled “progressive.” What called my attention to the site was something that appeared in my news feed titled “5 Things You Need to Know: Doctor Assisted Suicide.” The article – by Allan MacDonell – should have carried the more accurate title of “5 Things I Think I…

Reality Check – Factual Information on Jack Kevorkian from a Surprising Source

June 6, 2011Kevorkian, media coverage, media issues, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, satire, spoof.comStephen Drake

…urces and columnists give us an inaccurate and sanitized account of Jack Kevorkian. Instead, we have to go to humor site – where it can get published only because it runs under the guise of being satire – and fictional. Maybe some of the so-called news media – print, online, etc. – ought to consider running a disclaimer warning people that some of their content might be fictional and they’ll have to sort the fiction from the fact for themselves. T…

Disability Activists in the UK Push Back Against BBC and Terry Pratchett Promotion of Assisted Suicide

June 14, 2011assisted suicide, BBC, clair lewis, Derek Humphry, disability rights, Disabled People Fight Back, final exit network, miss dennis queen, Our News & Commentary Blog, sanjay gupta, Terry Pratchett, United KingdomStephen Drake

…ith author Mary Clement in 2000: “Similar to other social issues, the right-to-die movement has not arisen separate and distinct from other concurrent developments of our time. In attempting to answer the question Why Now?, one must look at the realities of the increasing cost of health care in an aging society, because in the final analysis, economics, not the quest for broadened individual liberties or increased autonomy, will drive assisted sui…

Train Wrecks and Being Bushwacked in the Land of Oz – Bill Peace, Danny Robert and Nadina LaSpina report on the Oz Show

October 25, 2011als, assisted suicide, blog recommendations, Danny Robert, Dr. Oz, infotainment, ira byock, media coverage, media issues, Nadina LaSpina, Our News & Commentary Blog, ventilator, william peaceStephen Drake

…led to be on the small expert panel, and we were scheduled to be in the pro-or-con segment of the audience. Wetalkedamongourselves,decidingwhowouldmakewhichpoint.Verynaively,wethoughtwewouldallgetachancetospeak.Thenayoungman,accompaniedbysomeonewithavideocamera,enteredandintroducedhimselfasGreg.Hesaid he was a producer and askedustoarticulateouroppositiontophysicianassistedsuicide.Eachofushadsomethingtosay and helistenedandaskedquestions.Heexplain…

RELEASE: NDY CEO Diane Coleman Addresses Adv. Care Planning and ‘End of Life’ Conference May 31 in Chicago

May 31, 2012"end of life", ACPEL, advance directives, conferences, diane coleman, Our News & Commentary Blog, passive euthanasiaStephen Drake

…are providers, emphasizing that, “As we continuously aim to provide an ever-increasing high standard of care to our patients, we recognise the need to research, examine, develop and learn with each other. At ACPEL 2012, we will therefore hear from a wide range of international speakers who will provide us with the latest developments and practices in advance care planning, end of life care, and its associated disciplines.” Coleman’s remarks will d…