As promised, here’s the second feature for our very first Dark Humor Weekend, a commercial for euthanasia from the Numa Network:
Come back tomorrow for more serious discussion and sharing of NDY-related issues.
Dark Humor Weekend, Part 1 – Euthanasia Comedy Sketch from “Your Bad Self”
Regular reader are familiar with this blog’s occasional visits to humor, comedy and satire dealing with NDY-related topics.
Due to some searching I did this morning, we’re having our first “Dark Humor Weekend.”
The first offering is a terrific send-up of the all-too-familiar portrayal of “sympathetic” family members who facilitate the suicides of their spouses. In this sketch from RTÉ Two‘s comedy show “Your Bad Self,” a loving wife expresses her concern over the prolonged illness of her spouse and his inevitable loss of dignity – and suggests a compassionate alternative to suffering through it all:
Please come back tomorrow for a second twisted look at “death with dignity.”
Follow Not Dead Yet on Twitter!
We (meaning me, mostly) have been slow getting off the mark in terms of social media. Now that there are more people doing the work in NDY, we’re working to expand our presence and even share things that might not show up on this blog.
Not Dead Yet is now on twitter. Content shared on twitter won’t be limited to pointers to the latest blog entry. For example, today a tweet went out regarding yet another health care moment at the latest Republican debate – this one was described as “macabre” by the author.
I probably won’t be visiting that incident on this blog – at least in the near future – but twitter is a great way to let people know it’s out there and it is probably releivant to anyone whose interests coincide with Not Dead Yet.
There’s a link at the upper right-hand corner of the page under the “Contacting NDY” heading.
Or you can just sign up right here to follow Not Dead Yet on Twitter. –Stephen Drake
ADAPT Leaves DC After Making its Mark – More Work Yet to Do
Tomorrow, this blog will get back to more the “usual” fare that readers are accustomed to, although I can guarantee this won’t be the last time this blog will be featuring news about health care and the budget battles. Remember, not so very long ago, a bunch of Republican candidates who want to be the next president of the US stood on a stage and offered no answer at all when Wolf Blitzer asked if we should let an uninsured person in need of expensive health care die.
The best response – by far – to that particular incident – can be found here:
Meanwhile, the ADAPTers are headed back to their homes across the country and can be proud of the work they did this week. Here’s a sampling of coverage from the week:
- The Washington Informer – Medicaid Activists at White House Gates as Obama Delivers Debt Plan
- Dallas Morning News – Protesters tell Congress not to cut or cap Medicaid for poor, disabled
- The Hill – Disability-rights advocates protest Obama’s proposed Medicaid cuts
- The Nation – Rally on Capitol Hill: ‘Medicaid Matters’
NDY – and most disability groups are nonpartisan. And yet it’s obvious the last week – in spite of ADAPT’s message to the White House – leans pretty heavily on Republicans. It would be nice to point to some friendly Republicans, but not one single Republican agreed to speak in support of protecting and preserving Medicaid at the Medicaid Matters rally. Not one.
It just could be that the party is totally controlled by – or in fear of – the “Tea Party.” That’s very bad news for those of us who depend on certain supports in order to maintain a minimum standard of living due to any combination of age, illness or disability.
Tea Partiers may be more inclined to speak vaguely of “making sure” there are still supports for those who are “really” in need, but some of us still haven’t forgotten the ugly reality exposed last year, when Tea Partiers treated a counter-protester with Parkinson’s with a blistering degree of hostility and scorn.
It looks like it’s the folks in that crowd who are in the driver’s seat in the Republican Party right now – a thought that gives me absolutely no comfort. –Stephen Drake
“My Medicaid Matters” Rally Is Happening NOW – text of NDY speech
Followup on yesterday’s post. The My Medicaid Matters rally is underway. We’ve heard the number of organizational sponsors is over 90 now.
In the coming days, I’ll attempt to organize some material and media related to the rally and to ADAPT’s actions prior to the rally in Washington, DC.
I’m not sure how they’re doing it now, but back when there were fewer sponsor, every organization was given the opportunity to have a representative give a speech at the rally about 1 minute long.
Today, long-time NDY board member Dr. Mary Lopez, Ph.D. Here is the text of her prepared remarks:
My Medicaid Matters Rally – Speech by Dr. Mary Lopez, Ph.D.
Besides serving on the Board of Not Dead Yet, I’m the Executive Director of Independence Empowerment Center. We serve people with disabilities of all ages, including seniors. One of our most important programs gives people the knowledge and skills to hire and manage their own personal assistant, a worker who comes into their home to help with everyday needs like dressing and bathing and preparing meals. Personal assistance services are funded by Medicaid and they are the kind of long term care that keeps people out of nursing facilities so they can enjoy basic freedoms like everyone else. But Medicaid still forces too many people into nursing facilities against their will. It’s time to start saving money, not by cutting Medicaid, but by reforming it to reverse the institutional bias. I’ve heard people say they’d rather die than go to a nursing home. It’s not a home and no one should be locked up in one because they live in a state that doesn’t offer the choice of Medicaid personal assistance in a person’s real home. And no one should have to die because of Medicaid cuts that deny them basic health care. We’re going to fight to protect Medicaid. It’s a life and death issue and we’re Not Dead Yet!
You can follow the rally today at http://twitter.com/#!/NationalADAPT