Here is a link to a post on Wesley Smith’s blog about a position paper from the Dutch Physician’s Association seeking to expand the factors to be considered in assessing whether a patient’s suffering is “unbearable,” thus making the patient eligible for assisted suicide. According to the article to which Smith refers–“Until now, factors such as income […]
Category: Death and dying
Legalized PAS and the Werther Effect Evidence suggests that legalized PAS will result in a greater number of suicides more generally (and not simply amongst the population who opt for legalized PAS). We will have great difficulty, on the one hand, giving our and medicine’s approval to suicide as the solution to complex problems at […]
SSRN has a new student article, Exploring the Potential for American Death Tourism. The author discusses the availability of physician assisted suicide in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg, and the possibility that American citizens will travel to these countries to die. He evaluates the enforcement and efficacy of foreign laws prohibiting travel for purposes […]
That quote is from the title of a recent blog post by Wesley Smith. http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2011/09/08/medical-conscience-all-dutch-doctors-must-be-complicit-in-euthanasia-killing/ Smith is commenting on a new position paper from the Dutch Medical Association that says that doctors must participate in euthanasia or at least refer to a doctor who is so willing. We have seen this in other areas as well. For example, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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“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.
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 […]
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 […]