http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-results-from-assisted-suicide-laws/2014/07/11/2704d612-0768-11e4-9ae6-0519a2bd5dfa_story.html
July 11 at 5:42 PM
As a former three-term state representative in New Hampshire, I was alarmed to see that Maryland is being urged to adopt an assisted-suicide law similar to those in Oregon and Washington state [" Controlling the end of life, Local Opinions, July 6].
Four months ago, the New Hampshire House rejected such a law by a 219 to 66 vote. Many representatives in the Democratic-controlled House initially thought they were for the bill but became uncomfortable when they studied the issue further.
Contrary to promoting "choice" for older people, assisted-suicide laws are a prescription for abuse. They empower heirs and others to pressure and abuse older people to cut short their lives, especially when they have money. No assisted-suicide bill could correct this huge problem.
Nancy Elliott, Merrimack, N.H.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
Washington’s ‘Death with Dignity’ law imperils the poor
http://realchangenews.org/index.php/site/archives/9122
Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA *
Last week’s article by an assisted suicide/euthanasia advocate struck me as a bizarre article for Real Change, which advocates for the dignity and self-determination of the poor. (“Terminally ill patients face shortage of right-to-die drug amid controversy over capital punishment,” Real Change, June 18)
Washington’s assisted suicide law was passed in 2008 and went into effect in 2009. This was after a deceptive initiative campaign promised us that “only” the patient would be allowed to take the lethal dose. Our law does not say that anywhere. See Margaret K. Dore, “’Death with Dignity,” What Do We Advise Our Clients?,” King County Bar Association, Bar Bulletin, May 2009, available at https://www.kcba.org/newsevents/barbulletin/BView.aspx?Month=05&Year=2009&AID=article5.htm.
In Oregon, which has a similar law, there are documented cases of that state’s Medicaid program using the law to steer patients to suicide. In other words, indigent patients are offered suicide in lieu of desired treatments to cure or to extend life. The most well-known cases are Barbara Wagner and Randy Stroup. See: Susan Donaldson James, “Death Drugs Cause Uproar in Oregon,” ABC News, August 6, 2008, at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5517492&page=1; and “Letter noting assisted suicide raises questions,” KATU TV, July 30, 2008, at http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/26119539.html See also the Affidavit of Kenneth Stevens, MD, filed by the Canadian government in Leblanc v. Canada, available at http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/signed-stevens-aff-9-18-12.pdf.
Finally, consider this quote from a March 8, 2012 Jerry Large column in the Seattle Times. He says that at least a couple of his readers suggested euthanasia “if you couldn’t save enough money to see you through your old age.” http://seattletimes.com/text/2017693023.html For the poor, this would be non-voluntary or involuntary euthanasia.
So much for the dignity and self-determination of the poor.
Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA *
Seattle
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Legal/Policy Analysis Against New Jersey Bill, A2270 (Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia)
By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA
A legal/policy analysis against New Jersey's proposed assisted suicide/euthanasia bill, A2270, can be viewed by clicking here.
If the analysis is "too big" for your computer, you can view it in pieces, by clicking the following links to: the cover sheet and index; the memo; and the appendices.
There are three main points:
1. A2270 is titled "Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act." "Aid in Dying" is a euphemism for assisted suicide and euthanasia. The title is, regardless, deceptive because it implies that A2270 is limited to people who are dying, which is untrue. A2270 applies to people who may have years, even decades, to live. See memo, pp. 5-8.
2. The bill is a recipe for elder abuse with the most obvious reason being a complete lack of oversight when the lethal dose is administered to the patient. Even if he struggled, who would know? See memo, pp. 8-17.
3. The bill lacks transparency and accountability. Id., pp. 17-19.
The last part of the memo is a discussion of the "Oregon and Washington Experience," with supporting documentation attached.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns at contact@choiceillusion.org or margaretdore@margaretdore.com.
Margaret Dore, President
Choice is an Illusion, a human rights organization
Law Offices of Margaret K. Dore, P.S.
www.choiceillusion.org
www.margaretdore.com
1001 4th Avenue, 44th Floor
Seattle, WA 98154
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Assisted suicide is a mistake
http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/06/11/letter-assisted-suicide-mistake/10348363/
I am a doctor in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal. I understand that your Legislature is considering taking a similar step.
I was first exposed to this issue in 1982, shortly before my first wife died of cancer. We had just visited her doctor. As we were leaving, he had suggested that she overdose herself on medication.
I still remember the look of horror on her face. She said, “Ken, he wants me to kill myself.”
Our assisted-suicide law was passed in 1997. In 2000, one of my patients was adamant she would use our law. Over three or four visits, I stalled her and ultimately convinced her to be treated instead. Nearly 14 years later, she is thrilled to be alive.
In Oregon, the combination of assisted-suicide legalization and prioritized medical care based on prognosis has created a danger for my patients on the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid).
Helpful treatments are often not covered. The plan will cover the patient’s suicide.
Protect your health care. Tell your legislators to vote “no” on assisted suicide.
Don’t make Oregon’s mistake.
KENNETH STEVENS, M.D.
I am a doctor in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal. I understand that your Legislature is considering taking a similar step.
I was first exposed to this issue in 1982, shortly before my first wife died of cancer. We had just visited her doctor. As we were leaving, he had suggested that she overdose herself on medication.
I still remember the look of horror on her face. She said, “Ken, he wants me to kill myself.”
Our assisted-suicide law was passed in 1997. In 2000, one of my patients was adamant she would use our law. Over three or four visits, I stalled her and ultimately convinced her to be treated instead. Nearly 14 years later, she is thrilled to be alive.
In Oregon, the combination of assisted-suicide legalization and prioritized medical care based on prognosis has created a danger for my patients on the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid).
Helpful treatments are often not covered. The plan will cover the patient’s suicide.
Protect your health care. Tell your legislators to vote “no” on assisted suicide.
Don’t make Oregon’s mistake.
KENNETH STEVENS, M.D.
Sherwood, Ore.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Arizona Strengthens its Law Against Assisted Suicide
http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/30/4993778/brewer-signs-bill-targeting-assisted.html
Brewer Signs Bill Targeting Assisted Suicide
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill that aims to make it easier to prosecute people who help someone commit suicide.
Republican Rep. Justin Pierce of Mesa says his bill will make it easier for attorneys to prosecute people for manslaughter for assisting in suicide by more clearly defining what it means to "assist."
House Bill 2565 defines assisting in suicide as providing the physical means used to commit suicide, such as a gun. The bill originally also defined assisted suicide as "offering" the means to commit suicide, but a Senate amendment omitted that word.
The proposal was prompted by a difficult prosecution stemming from a 2007 assisted suicide in Maricopa County.
Brewer signed the bill on Wednesday.
Brewer Signs Bill Targeting Assisted Suicide
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill that aims to make it easier to prosecute people who help someone commit suicide.
Republican Rep. Justin Pierce of Mesa says his bill will make it easier for attorneys to prosecute people for manslaughter for assisting in suicide by more clearly defining what it means to "assist."
House Bill 2565 defines assisting in suicide as providing the physical means used to commit suicide, such as a gun. The bill originally also defined assisted suicide as "offering" the means to commit suicide, but a Senate amendment omitted that word.
The proposal was prompted by a difficult prosecution stemming from a 2007 assisted suicide in Maricopa County.
Brewer signed the bill on Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Attend the New Hampshire Victory Celebration Dinner!
 |
| Featured Speaker John B. Kelly |
Former New Hampshire State Representative, Nancy Elliott has organized a "Victory Celebration Dinner" to celebrate the overwhelming defeat of assisted suicide in New Hampshire. The dinner is sponsored by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
The dinner speaker will be John B. Kelly, New England Regional Director for Not Dead Yet.
The dinner will also celebrate opposition to assisted suicide throughout New England and Quebec.
Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nashua New Hampshire, USA
When: Friday, May 30, 2014
Cost: $35.00
Book a room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for $119 under the name "Euthanasia Prevention Coalition."
Please make payments for the dinner to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Box 611309 Port Huron MI 48061-1309, or contact Alex Schadenberg at: 1-877-439-3348 or info@epcc.ca
Please consider a generous donation to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Not Dead Yet and other groups that were instrumental to defeating assisted suicide in New England and Quebec this year.
To donate to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, click here.
To donate to Not Dead Yet, click here.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
I want assistance living, not dying
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4465271-i-want-assistance-living-not-dying/
Assisted suicide
I was born with cerebral palsy and I
have lived all of my life with pain. I now have scoliosis, which affects
my mobility and gives me further pain. My prognosis is living with a
wheelchair.
MP Steven Fletcher has introduced
euthanasia bills with language that specifically focuses on people with
disabilities because his bills are about him dying by euthanasia.
Fletcher seems to be saying that he does
not value his life, but I value my life and the lives of others with
disabilities. His "right to die" ends at the point where it affects
other people. Don't take me down with your death wish.
As a member of parliament, Fletcher has
the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people with
disabilities, to work toward improving social supports and living
opportunities, but his euthanasia bills say that our lives are not worth
living.
People with disabilities are at risk
from euthanasia because they are often dependent on others who legally
have the right to make decisions for them. Any legislation that lessens
protections in law for people with disabilities is very concerning.
I have overcome many physical and social
barriers in my life, I am busy wanting to live, but Fletcher's bill
directly affects my right to live.
People with disabilities, who live with a
positive mindset, show society how to overcome challenges. We see these
challenges as opportunities for personal growth.
Fletcher wants your pity. People with
disabilities don't want your pity and we don't want your death.
The concept of euthanasia creates great
fear for me. Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide abandons me as a
person. That society would rather help me die with dignity, than help me
live with dignity. We will fight for the right of people with
disabilities to live with equality, value and acceptance.
Steven Passmore, Hamilton
Saturday, April 12, 2014
This woman needed help NOT Dignitas
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/richard-and-judy/469987/The-tale-of-an-unwarranted-death-this-woman-needed-help-NOT-Dignitas
The truly
disturbing nature of Anne’s story is this: she was not suffering from
any form of terminal disease. True, at 89, she had had her health
problems – diseases of the lung and heart, requiring spells in hospital
(which she hated). But she wasn’t dying of cancer, or one of the nasties
such as Huntington’s Chorea, or multiple organ failure.
Anne simply felt alienated from the modern world. Speaking days before she died – from a lethal dose of drugs provided by the clinic – she said she felt she faced a choice either to “adapt or die”, and announced she was not prepared to adapt to a world in which technology took precedence over humanity. She added that she had become frustrated with the trappings of modern life, such as fast-food, consumerism, and the amount of time people spend watching television.
“They say ‘adapt or die,’” she said, having already made the decision to take the latter option by drinking a deadly dose of barbiturates. “I find myself swimming against the current, and you can’t do that. If you can’t join them, get off... all the old fashioned ways of doing things have gone.”
Now you may or may not agree with
Anne’s world view, but judging by her comments (and there were more in
the same vein) it sounds very much to me as if the poor woman was
suffering from a classic case of clinical depression – feelings of
hopelessness, alienation, despair and suicidal thoughts.
Is that a condition Dignitas should be giving itself permission to treat with a lethal cocktail of drugs? I don’t think so. Its own rules state that it will only provide help in cases of “illness which will lead inevitably to death, unendurable pain or an unendurable disability”.
Anne’s niece, Linda, 54, accompanied her aunt to Zurich and was by her side when she died. She has said she “cannot think of a better death”.
Hmm. I don’t doubt her personal belief in that statement and I am sure she genuinely believes she did the right thing by her aunt. But Anne’s death raises disturbing questions. What if she’d been 10 years younger, say, 79, but held exactly the same bleak view of the world? Would she still have been offered assisted suicide?
Or what about 69? Or 59? At exactly what point does the combination of (undiagnosed) depression plus advancing years get the thumbs-up from the Dignitas doctors?
Personally I have always supported the principle of assisted suicide but Anne’s exit from this world has made me seriously wonder if it can ever be properly controlled.
This disturbing story could be the thin end of a very unpleasant wedge.
IN a week of disturbing stories right across the news gauntlet – Peaches, Pistorius, the political car-crash of Maria Miller – one dark and troubling tale went almost unnoticed: The death of a retired art teacher, only identified as Anne, by assisted suicide at the infamous Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
Anne simply felt alienated from the modern world. Speaking days before she died – from a lethal dose of drugs provided by the clinic – she said she felt she faced a choice either to “adapt or die”, and announced she was not prepared to adapt to a world in which technology took precedence over humanity. She added that she had become frustrated with the trappings of modern life, such as fast-food, consumerism, and the amount of time people spend watching television.
“They say ‘adapt or die,’” she said, having already made the decision to take the latter option by drinking a deadly dose of barbiturates. “I find myself swimming against the current, and you can’t do that. If you can’t join them, get off... all the old fashioned ways of doing things have gone.”
Is that a condition Dignitas should be giving itself permission to treat with a lethal cocktail of drugs? I don’t think so. Its own rules state that it will only provide help in cases of “illness which will lead inevitably to death, unendurable pain or an unendurable disability”.
Anne’s niece, Linda, 54, accompanied her aunt to Zurich and was by her side when she died. She has said she “cannot think of a better death”.
Hmm. I don’t doubt her personal belief in that statement and I am sure she genuinely believes she did the right thing by her aunt. But Anne’s death raises disturbing questions. What if she’d been 10 years younger, say, 79, but held exactly the same bleak view of the world? Would she still have been offered assisted suicide?
Or what about 69? Or 59? At exactly what point does the combination of (undiagnosed) depression plus advancing years get the thumbs-up from the Dignitas doctors?
Personally I have always supported the principle of assisted suicide but Anne’s exit from this world has made me seriously wonder if it can ever be properly controlled.
This disturbing story could be the thin end of a very unpleasant wedge.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Late actor Mickey Rooney was a strong voice against elder abuse
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/actor-mickey-rooney-voice-against-elder-abuse-170443794.html
By Nadine Kalinauskas | Daily Brew
"They were keeping him from access to a
phone, they kept him hostage," he claimed, making the horrific accusation that Rooney died of
choking on his own food with no one there "to pat him on the back."
By Nadine Kalinauskas | Daily Brew
As the details of Mickey Rooney's death will make headlines today —
he disinherited his eight surviving children and his estranged
wife just weeks before his death, leaving his meager $18,000 estate to his
stepson and caregiver Mark Rooney — so do claims that the Hollywood legend was a victim of elder abuse.
According
to the Associated
Press, Rooney said he lost most of his fortune because of elder abuse
and financial mismanagement by another of his stepsons, Christopher Aber.
He
cut his children out of his will because they were better off financially than he was.
Rooney's
lawyer, Michael Augustine, said that an agreement was in place for millions to be repaid
to the 93-year-old actor, but it was unlikely the estate will ever collect on
it.
[ Related: Five of Mickey Rooney's most memorable movie
roles ]
Almost
three years ago, Rooney appeared before a U.S. Senate committee that was considering
legislation that would crack down on elder abuse.
In
March of 2011, then-90-year-old Rooney told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that he had been
"stripped of the ability to make even the most basic decisions about my life"
and financially exploited by his stepson, Aber, and didn't seek help because he
was "overwhelmed" with fear, anger and disbelief.
"But
above all, when a man feels helpless, it's terrible," Rooney testified.
Engaging
in a war of he said/he said, Aber told the Daily Mail that his younger
brother, Mark, and his wife were the real abusers, not him.
"They were keeping him from access to a
phone, they kept him hostage," he claimed, making the horrific accusation that Rooney died of
choking on his own food with no one there "to pat him on the back."
News
outlets have reported only that Rooneydied of natural causes, including complications related to
diabetes. Read Aber's messy allegations here.
Elder
abuse has been making headlines in Canada this month.
Toronto
woman Norma Marshall, 94, was victimized by her housekeeper and her
family who systematically spent Marshall's life savings and sold her belongings
without her knowledge, confining Marshall to a small room in her own home.
A
delivery man for a local pharmacy determined something wasn't right when he
dropped off her medications and alerted authorities.
Seniors
are particularly susceptible to elder abuse and frauds, and regrettably, there
is a great reluctance to disclose these types of incidents. — Patricia Fleischmann, Toronto police vulnerable-persons coordinator
Matthews
claims he was tackled and restrained at a Vancouver Island hospital after he
tried to leave. He went to the hospital fearing signs of a heart attack or
stroke and was admitted, instead, to a psychiatric ward.
According
to a poll commissioned by Bayshore HealthCare earlier this year, one in five
Canadians visit their elderly loved ones just twice a year at most, citing
distance and busyness as reasons for staying away.
With
reports of elder abuse and neglect increasing across the nation, last month,
British Columbia became the first Canadian province to appoint a seniors' advocate. Isobel Mackenzie vows to
represent seniors, not the government, in her new role. (Photo courtesy
Reuters)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Connecticut Bill Dead!
Assisted suicide bill won't be voted on
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 25, 2014 - 7:32 pm EDT
HARTFORD, Connecticut — A
bill that would allow Connecticut physicians to prescribe medication to
help terminally ill patients end their lives won't be voted on during
this year's legislative session, the co-chairman of the General
Assembly's Public Health Committee said Tuesday.
Windham Rep. Susan Johnson said Tuesday there is not enough time to address various outstanding issues with the bill. This year's short legislative session ends May 7.
"We worked very hard on that bill and there's a lot of work left to do," Johnson said.
This marks the second year in a row that the Public Health Committee has held a public hearing on such legislation and committee members did not take a vote.
Johnson said the Judiciary Committee is better suited to tackle certain outstanding issues with the bill, such as determining a patient's competency, whether they're under any duress, and how they can be protected from people with criminal intentions.
"Those kinds of things need to be ironed out," she said.
Proponents vowed to return with another bill next year, when there will be a longer legislative session.
"I'm very sorry that we're not able to move the bill further this year," said Rep. Betsy Ritter, D-Waterford. "We heard from people who wanted it badly."
Ritter said she was pleased, however, by the attention paid to the issue this year, adding how "the discussion just exploded across the state." Tim Appleton, the state director of the advocacy group Compassion and Choices, said he expects support will grow more between now and next year's legislative session.
Opponents have questioned the level of support for the bill, claiming outside groups are pushing the issue in Connecticut. They've vowed to fight future bills.
"The collateral damage from legalizing assisted suicide — including massive elder abuse, the deadly mix with a cost-cutting health care system steering people to suicide, misdiagnosis and incorrect prognosis, suicide contagion, and disability discrimination in suicide prevention — is simply not fixable," said Stephen Mendelsohn, of Second Thoughts Connecticut.
Windham Rep. Susan Johnson said Tuesday there is not enough time to address various outstanding issues with the bill. This year's short legislative session ends May 7.
"We worked very hard on that bill and there's a lot of work left to do," Johnson said.
This marks the second year in a row that the Public Health Committee has held a public hearing on such legislation and committee members did not take a vote.
Johnson said the Judiciary Committee is better suited to tackle certain outstanding issues with the bill, such as determining a patient's competency, whether they're under any duress, and how they can be protected from people with criminal intentions.
"Those kinds of things need to be ironed out," she said.
Proponents vowed to return with another bill next year, when there will be a longer legislative session.
"I'm very sorry that we're not able to move the bill further this year," said Rep. Betsy Ritter, D-Waterford. "We heard from people who wanted it badly."
Ritter said she was pleased, however, by the attention paid to the issue this year, adding how "the discussion just exploded across the state." Tim Appleton, the state director of the advocacy group Compassion and Choices, said he expects support will grow more between now and next year's legislative session.
Opponents have questioned the level of support for the bill, claiming outside groups are pushing the issue in Connecticut. They've vowed to fight future bills.
"The collateral damage from legalizing assisted suicide — including massive elder abuse, the deadly mix with a cost-cutting health care system steering people to suicide, misdiagnosis and incorrect prognosis, suicide contagion, and disability discrimination in suicide prevention — is simply not fixable," said Stephen Mendelsohn, of Second Thoughts Connecticut.
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