Wesley J. Smith

So, it’s okay for a doctor to help someone kill themselves, but not others?  The irony escapes Oregon as the legislature is on track to outlaw suicide kits.  From the ABC story:Oregon senators have unanimously voted in favor of passing a bill that would ban the sale or marketing of . . . . Continue Reading »

The Canadian single payer health care system is imploding, with unconscionable waiting periods—currently 18.2 weeks for surgeries—and about 5 million out of 33 million people unable to find their own doctors.  It is a system that sucks up about 50% of BC’s budget (as one . . . . Continue Reading »

Conjoined twins have been born that share one body, making separation impossible. From the AP story:A hospital in southwestern China says conjoined twin girls with a single body and two heads have been born at its facility. A staffer surnamed Wang at Suining City Central Hospital in Sichuan province . . . . Continue Reading »

People with disabilities are among the most effective and dedicated opponents of legalizing assisted suicide.  Now Scope, the disability rights charity from the UK, has conducted a poll showing that the opposition by leadership is reflected among the community as a whole. From the Telegraph . . . . Continue Reading »

The environmental movement grows increasingly authoritarian in its tendencies and proposals.  Today, in the San Francisco Chronicle, local Green bullies tout a proposal to outlaw the free distribution of the Yellow Pages.  From the column by SF Supervisor David Chiu (and two others):San . . . . Continue Reading »

I enjoy stories where animal rights radicalism conflicts with radical environmentalism.  We appear to have such a case here.  Apparently fuel prices are making it increasingly hard for farmers to make a profit (undoubtedly true), so they have resorted to using oxen to plow the . . . . Continue Reading »

The new Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board-approved advance medical . . . . Continue Reading »

Vermont is San Francisco as a state, and thus it always bears watching when its part time legislature is in session.  First, as I predicted, Vermont did not legalize assisted suicide.  That’s good.Second, it did establish a publicly funded health system.  From the Boston Globe . . . . Continue Reading »

Christopher Hitchens may be the greatest living English-writing writer, at least in the short form.  I envy his raw prose power and find him compelling, even when I disagree vigorously with, or am cut by, his views. (We’ve had two previous discussions around Hitchens at SHS, the first, . . . . Continue Reading »

A few months ago, as noted here at SHS, a European Court magistrate ruled that ESCR products are not patentable because they are an industrial use of the human embryo, which is not permitted under European law.   Since then, the usual advocacy push back has furiously commenced in science . . . . Continue Reading »