A major reason that assisted suicide has not moved beyond Oregon in this country is that the Democratic Party remains divided about the issue—despite some of its more left leaning members seeking to transform the issue into a Democratic Agenda item. Proof is in the inability of Democrats Patty . . . . Continue Reading »
I just went to Senators Orin Hatch and Dianne Feinstein’s Web sites to read their press releases on the introduction of S. 812, a bill that would legalize human cloning and authorize researchers to pay women to undergo egg procurement. Here, in part, is what both releases state: The Human . . . . Continue Reading »
In this edition of Brave New Bioethics, I examine the abdication of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, which has switched its position on legalizing assisted suicide to “studied neutrality.” I explain how and why this abandons dying patients and abdicates its . . . . Continue Reading »
The Vermont House of Representatives just voted down the bill to legalize assisted suicide. The vote was 83-62. This is a real victory. Behind the scenes, it looked bleak for awhile. But here is a verite: The more people learn about assisted suicide, the less they tend to support it.Hawaii and . . . . Continue Reading »
I just found another area of dishonesty in S. 812, the bill that should be called “The Human Cloning Authorization Act.” Section 2(e) is entitled Voluntary Donation of Oocytes, meaning eggs. Indeed, Section II(e)(2) states: Prohibition on Purchase or Sale—No human oocyte or . . . . Continue Reading »
Once again it is “pull the wool over their eyes” time in the United States Senate. My senator, Diane Feinstein (D-CA), and Utah’s Orin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced the dishonestly named “Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Research Protection Act of 2007” (S. 812).Is it any . . . . Continue Reading »
Euthanasia is antithetical to the philosophy of hospice care, which honors the intrinsic equal dignity of all people and promises to care for people to the end of their natural lives. One method by which this philosophy is carried out is suicide prevention. If a hospice patient becomes suicidal, the . . . . Continue Reading »
Bobby Schindler is one of the finest, most decent people I have ever met. Over the years I have known him, I watched as he emerged, somewhat dazed, from a wholly private life as a high school teacher to becoming one of the most sought after activists worldwide standing up unequivocally for the . . . . Continue Reading »
Ah, the power of good lawyers and public scrutiny. After going to court, attorney Jerri Ward, attorney for Baby Emilio’s mother, just informed me that the Children’s Hospital of Austin has agreed not to remove life support until April 10. And good for the people at the hospital for being . . . . Continue Reading »
Should a hospital ethics committee be empowered to decide in secret to withdraw wanted life-sustaining treatment? This is the heart of what I call Futile Care Theory, a.k.a, medical futility, which is being quietly pushed into official policy throughout the country by the mainstream bioethics . . . . Continue Reading »
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