CNN: “Choosing death can be like a ‘birth,’ advocates say” – NDY and NCD perspectives included

…interview as a result of the inevitable distortion that comes into play in human communication. The article, Choosing death can be like a ‘birth,’ advocates say, does indeed deliver some content every bit as creepy as the title might lead you to believe: Portland, Oregon (CNN) — James Powell could barely speak on the day he died; cancer had confined him to bed and heavy painkillers left him only semi-lucid. Yet the mood was almost celebratory as 2…

Disability Rights Iowa Accuses Governor of Abandoning Those in Nursing Homes to Greater Abuse and Neglect

…lators understood that oversight is critical when politics threatens to corrupt the system designed to protect Iowa’s most vulnerable citizens. Roberts took the money, but used it for purposes other than rehiring nursing home inspectors. This isn’t your “normal” story of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. (In which case we tend to oppose giving more money to those facilities and argue that the best remedy for institutional abuse and neglect is to…

Compassion & Choices: Coombs Lee Advocates First Step Toward Deregulation of Assisted Suicide

…s worked with Coombs Lee. It waves a professional wand over understandable human fears and feelings about aging, illness and disability so that these emotions can be classified as “rational” without addressing their roots in social conditioning, social stigma and societal neglect of people with expensive health and disability-related needs. Coombs Lee’s assertion that the assisted suicide reports validate her stated belief that “nothing could over…

Peter Singer: Latest Lecture Recommends Rationing Health Care on the Back of Disabled People

…ceton University: Peter Singer, a professor with the University Center for Human Values, presented a talk on “Rationing Health Care” on Tuesday. The event, open to the public, was sponsored by the Student Bioethics Forum. Currently, the United States spends more per capita than any other country in the world, yet is ranked 176th in infant mortality and 50th in life expectancy according to the CIA World Factbook. According to a study conducted by t…

Hydrocephalus, Spina Bifida and Medical Killing – Current News from DRI and a History Supplement from Me

…their site: “Disability Rights International is dedicated to promoting the human rights and full participation in society of people with disabilities worldwide.” There is, of course, a lot more to know and learn about the organization than that and I encourage people to explore DRI’s site at the links provided above. The message from Laurie Ahern regarded, in part, the baby boy seen in the picture below. The picture above is of a 6 month old boy l…