LA Times: “Time for Dad to die” a really disturbing essay

December 1, 2008life-ending decisions, media issues, medical decisionmaking, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…ieve. The opening sentence of her piece gives us fair warning: I love my 90-year-old father, and I wish he would die. Wagman goes on to relate her father’s loss of some cognitive and physical abilities due to a series of strokes. Over time, he lost the ability to drive, walk his dog, do crossword puzzles or engage in the kind of spontaneous word play he valued. She also relates he was able to find some joy in things he could still do. In October,…

New Bill Peace-Related Response – ‘Who would want a child like that?’

August 6, 2012bill peace, bioethics, bloggers, devaluation, Hastings Center, medical decisionmaking, medical discrimination, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…new information. But it’s possible that Barrington gets that and he isn’t writing to promote the practices of recommending withholding of life-preserving medical treatment based on the assumptions and prejudices of medical professionals. I’m also thankful he didn’t refer to those recommendations as ‘end of life’ decisions and used more honest terminology instead. Barrington offers resources I want to share here as well (I’ve fixed the broken link…

BBC World Service – Liz Carr Presents Part 1 of “Euthanasia Road Trip” Documentary

February 19, 2013assisted suicide, BBC, Belgium, documentary, euthanasia, Liz Carr, Luxembourg, media, Our News & Commentary Blog, SwitzerlandStephen Drake

…of the legislation, physicians and disability activists. It’s far more even-handed than the pro-euthanasia documentary makers have produced. You’ll also learn more about the history of legislation and practice than you’ll ever read in a mainstream press article. Carr’s interviews are great, and often revealing. Most interesting, so far, are her own reflections about her own opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia even as she engages with peo…

Vermont: Testimony of Ira Byock, MD to Vermont Senate Committee on Health and Welfare Hearing on End of Life Choices

January 31, 2013"end of life", end-of-life care, ira byock, legislation, Our News & Commentary Blog, palliative care, vermontStephen Drake

…tes “death with dignity” and objects to the word “suicide,” preferring “aid-in-dying” or “self-deliverance” or “hastenings.” These terms sound benign, but the undisguised act they describe remains a morally primitive, socially regressive, response to basic human needs. Proponents of adopting an Oregon-style act in Vermont emphasize safeguards in the law and assert that Oregon’s experience proves that worries about a slippery slope are unfounded. H…

Answering Some of Roger Ebert’s (and Kevorkian’s) Fans

July 2, 2011assisted suicide, culture wars, media coverage, media issues, million dollar baby, Our News & Commentary Blog, Roger EbertStephen Drake

…the controversy about the movie redefined. What this amounted to was an all-too-familiar collaboration between conservative, mainstream and progressive media. This “collaboration” erased disability from the landscape of the story, to be replaced by a story about a volley in the “culture wars.” Since neither the left or right sees us as part of their respective cultures, we ended up as collateral damage. By the time the Oscars rolled around, the st…