…fund a second opinion. The second psychologist had the same concerns, but ruled that Kate was competent anyway. On the day that she got back from a nursing home stay as respite for her family, Kate offered to take the lethal overdose. Her family helped her die that same day. Having to choose between a nursing home and a family who sees you as a burden is not a true choice. There is nothing in this or any other assisted suicide bill that can pro…
…ed by Oregon law co-author Barbara Coombs Lee last fall at a Connecticut forum. As the online journal CTNewsJunkie reported, “Coombs Lee also said the [Oregon-style] legislation would exclude people with dementia and cognitive declines, since they could not make the choice for themselves. ‘It is an issue for another day but is no less compelling,’” she said. Coombs Lee is now the president of the group Compassion & Choices, the saccharine rebrandi…
…de of the disability community over the past few years. Today, the college newspaper Georgetown Voice published a response and counter to an editorial that endorsed a proposal that would legalize assisted suicide in Washington, DC. That response is reprinted below, with permission of the author and newspaper. We’ve also included the brief description of Lydia’s work included that accompanies the original article. The original article can be found…
…are this edited article I wrote about ten years ago, posted to an online forum I used to participate in – the forum had nothing to do with disability rights, euthanasia or anything else work-related – just a lot of smart and interesting people. Those familiar with my writing style will recognize my habit of drawing several threads together into a hopefully coherent whole. It’s also a little more personal than what I usually write here. I won’t fee…
…think about this right away, while you still can. Write down specific instructions in an advance directive for your loved ones who will be your surrogate decision makers to follow. This will save everyone a lot of anguish. Believe me, I know. I made a well-meaning but profoundly ill-advised medical decision on behalf of my aunt and now she must live with the consequences. Two years ago my aunt was hospitalized due to a sudden, unexplained but tem…
