I am not happy: But my ire was raised before the ultimate failure of the bill to outlaw futile care theory in Texas. The “good” bill, which would have required hospitals to maintain treatment pending a transfer to another hospital would have breezed to passage, and in the process given a . . . . Continue Reading »
Interfering with the cold, pitiless, purposelessness of natural selection, the exceptional species continues to strive mightily to save two apparently sick whales lost in the Sacramento River, (who may have been hit by a boat propeller). The effort has made newspapers throughout the country and in . . . . Continue Reading »
It has been more than ten years since Dolly was cloned. Yet, for all of the animal cloning that has gone on, apparently the science of somatic cell nuclear transfer has not progressed very far. An article in Science by Jose Cibelli, formerly of Advanced Cell Technology and now a professor in . . . . Continue Reading »
When Kevorkian wanted out of prison, his lawyer repeatedly pleaded for mercy because, he said, Kevorkian’s was so ill with hepatitis and other ailments that he was on the verge of death’s door. For example, in this Court TV report from 2004:The state parole board declined to commute Jack . . . . Continue Reading »
I have long maintained that assisted suicide legalization is not intended to be permanently limited to the “terminally ill for whom nothing else can be done to alleviate suffering,” (which is, in itself, a false premise). After all, as we have seen in the Netherlands and Switzerland, . . . . Continue Reading »
In this excellent column published in the Washington Post, disability rights activists Andrew J. Imparato and Anne C. Sommers warn of the emerging new eugenics. Some key quotes:Though society may be inclined to regard [Oliver Wendel] Holmes’s detestable opinion in Buck v. Bell [“Three . . . . Continue Reading »
While I was in Europe, Baby Emilio Gonzales died. The case stimulated much discussion of Futile Care Theory, in which Texas law allows ethics committees to refuse wanted life-sustaining treatment—not because the treatment won’t extend life but because it will. The Texas Legislature is in . . . . Continue Reading »
Whilst in Poland, Debra and I felt duty bound to bear witness to the suffering of the victims of Auschwitz/Birkenau. These are a few of the photos I took.These were not “just” death and slave labor camps: They were designed for the systemic torture of helpless people. Utter insanity. I . . . . Continue Reading »
I have a speaking gig in Warsaw on Saturday, so Secondhand Smokette and I are taking the opportunity to see some of Eastern Europe. I have decided not to lug the old laptop around, and so chances are I will not post anything until around the 21st. However, one never knows. The last time I left the . . . . Continue Reading »
Ashley is the little profoundly disabled girl who was subjected to non therapeutic interventions, including a hysterectomy and a mastectomy, in addition to hormone therapies to keep her “small.” At the time, I wrote here at SHS that, at the very least, matters such as this should be . . . . Continue Reading »
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