Press Release: Disability Activists from Not Dead Yet and Second Thoughts to Testify in Opposition to Connecticut Assisted Suicide Bill

March 17, 2014Our News & Commentary BlogDiane Coleman

…ion. Modeled after the Massachusetts group of the same name, which was instrumental in defeating an assisted suicide ballot referendum in that state in 2012, the group says that a closer look at the details of assisted suicide proposals give people “second thoughts.” “The bill would establish a government recommendation that doctor-prescribed suicide is sometimes the best treatment,” said Kelly. “Innocent people who are not terminal and are not ma…

Terri Schiavo, Family Guy, Family Research Council – and a Reality Check

March 28, 2010advocacy, culture wars, media coverage, media issues, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, schiavoStephen Drake

…lmost never mentioned the disability rights organizations supporting the struggle to save her life. If they’d made a habit of mentioning that, it would have been harder for news organizations – Fox, MSNBC, CNN, the networks, etc. to pretend this was all just one more battle in the “culture wars.” Unfortunately, framing the fight in terms of the culture wars suited “handlers” like Father Frank Pavone and Randall Terry just fine. I wish I could say…

Georgia NDY/Disability Activist on Fox5 Coverage in Atlanta – Final Exit Network

March 19, 2009advocacy, assisted suicide, final exit network, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, suicideStephen Drake

…ate causing fingers to contract permanently. CMT sufferers also undergo excruciating pain. “Sometimes it’s a burning neurological pain like boiling hot water is running through my nerves,” Kurt, who asked that only his first name be used. CMT is not fatal, but Kurt suffers from a rare form of the disease that causes severe respiratory problems which can make breathing feel more like suffocating. Kurt said he didn’t want to grow old with the diseas…

ADAPT is in DC! How to Follow the Action(s)

September 20, 2010activism, ADAPT, advocacy, budget reduction, disability rights, long term care, Medicaid, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…Stramondo of Michigan ADAPT. “Some states are virtually on the edge of bankruptcy. It makes no sense to spend extra dollars on institutions when those same dollars could fund more people with disabilities to live in the communities of our choice.” To a lot of readers coming to this blog from outside of the disability community, this might seem like a departure from our usual focus. It’s not. Not Dead Yet is a disability rights organization that en…

John Kelly Talks About the Tim Bowers Case

December 5, 2013john kelly, life-ending decisions, national council on disability, ncd, Our News & Commentary Blog, quadriplegia, rush to judgment, spinal cord injury, suicide prevention, Tim Bowers, ventilatorDiane Coleman

…distorted and abused. Meaningful self-determination gets bypassed and obstructed in favor of a rush to judgment that cuts short the lives of newly disabled people based on ignorant and outmoded judgments about quality of life. We urge NCD to come up to speed on health care decisions laws because national guidance is needed to help reshape these laws to prevent discrimination in these life and death judgments. My written comments include action st…