Categories
Assisted suicide Death and dying Euthanasia

Website opposing Physician-Assisted Suicide

Massachusetts Citizens for Life provide links to a new website with thoughtful commentary on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, “Choice” is an Illusion. The site is run by an elder law attorney, and her practical experience in the area shows. Another good website on euthanasia is the Nightingale Alliance and Wesley Smith’s blog, Secondhand Smoke, often […]

Categories
Abortion Clinic regulation

Understanding Virginia’s New Abortion Clinic Regulations

The Virginia Department of Health has invited public comment on proposed regulations of abortion clinics in that state. UFL member, Michael New, has posted a brief comment on the proposed clinic regulations on NRO. This is an opportunity for our members to assist in the formation of sound public policy. You can find the proposed […]

Categories
Death and dying Health Care Reform Philosophy

Healthcare Reform and Utilitarian Ethics

Yuval Levin discusses the two approaches to healthcare reform today in Help the Sick and Reduce the Debt: The Moral Economy of the Health-Care Debate on Public Discourse blog. He describes the Democratic proposal as one focused on expanding availability of health insurance through government programs, which they argue will reduce costs through bringing greater […]

Categories
Abortion Death and dying Feminism Philosophy

Abortion and Family Solidarity

UFL member, Richard Stith, has posted a new article, Anti-choice: When Having a Choice Diminishes Family Solidarity, on SSRN. Richard argues that the availability of abortion causes many family members to reject or reduce support for women who continue their pregnancies in difficult circumstances because “it is their choice.” He notes a similar effect when […]

Categories
Abortion

more on selective reduction

On the Mirror of Justice blog, here is an excellent post by John Breen. http://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2011/08/michael-new-selective-reduction-reveals-a-weakness-in-the-armor-of-choice.html Breen focuses on an analysis by Michael New from NRO. Perhaps the concerned reactions of pro-choice advocates to the NY Times story reveal a natural human response to the taking of an innocent human life. Selective reduction, just as did partial birth […]

Categories
Death and dying Hospice

“No One Dies Alone”

Here is a very encouraging blog post by Wesley Smith reporting on the “No One Dies Alone” program.http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2011/08/27/no-one-dies-alone/ The program relies on volunteers to spend time with and to provide support for patients who would otherwise die alone. What a great form of solidarity and of true compassion. Richard M.

Categories
Abortion Conscience protection Contraception Health Care Reform

Conscience Protection and the American Experiment

Professor Helen Alvare has posted a blog entry, Uphold Conscience Protection: Religious Freedom’s Contribution to the American Experience and Threats to It, over at Public Discourse on the importance of conscience protections in a variety of settings. Many readers of this blog will recognize the professor from her former work as spokeswoman for Prolife Secretariat […]

Categories
Advance directives Assisted suicide Death and dying Euthanasia

Physicians’ Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments

For those interested in end-of-life issues and euthanasia, Christian Brugger has an important new post on the Culture of Life blog regarding Physicians’ Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments. His post is entitled “Legalizing Euthanasia by Omission – And Making It a Doctor’s Order .” Dr. Brugger identifies the primary issue surrounding such documents as: “POLST-type legislation […]

Categories
Abortion Constitutionality Feminism

Work, Women and Babies

There have been several news stories this week about a decision by a New York federal district court judge in EEOC v. Bloomberg. The case involved claims by the EEOC on behalf of 78 women that Bloomberg LP (the international news organization) engaged in illegal sex and pregnancy discrimination. In ruling in favor of the […]

Categories
Abortion Conscience protection Constitutionality Death and dying

Doctor’s Conscience Rights in 14th Amendment

The Supreme Court has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to argue that health care workers have a Free Exercise right under the First Amendment to refuse to participate in abortions. With growing governmental powers over health care, many are concerned that legislative conscience protections for health care workers may not be sufficient to […]