Massachusetts May Soon Change How the Nation Dies 439
Hugh Pickens writes "Lewis M. Cohen reports that this Election Day, Massachusetts is poised to approve the Death With Dignity Act, a modernized, sanitized, politically palatable term that replaces the now-antiquated expression 'physician-assisted suicide.' Oregon's Death With Dignity Act has been in effect for the past 14 years, and the state of Washington followed suit with a similar law in 2008. But the Massachusetts ballot question has the potential to turn death with dignity from a legislative experiment into the new national norm, because the state is the home of America's leading medical publication (the New England Journal of Medicine), hospital (Massachusetts General), and four medical schools (Harvard, Boston University, University of Massachusetts, and Tufts). If the act passes in Massachusetts, other states that have previously had unsuccessful campaigns will certainly be emboldened to revisit this subject. The initiative would allow terminally ill patients with six months or less to live to request from their doctor a prescription for a lethal dose of a drug. Doctors do not have to offer the option at all, and patients must make three requests, two verbal and one written. They must self-administer the drug, which would be ingested. The patients must be deemed capable of making an informed decision. 'It's all about choice,' says George Eighmey, a key player in instituting the Oregon law, defending it against repeal and shepherding it into reality. 'You decide. No one else can decide for you. No can can force you into it, coerce you into it or even suggest it to you unless you make a statement: "I don't want to live like this any more" or "I'm interested in that law out there, doctor, can you give me something to alleviate this pain and suffering."'"
Drone (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Death with Dignity. (Score:5, Funny)
I'll take oblivion over living in my own filth, forgetting who I am every day, and being too frail to actually interact with the world.
Are you kidding? why I remenber a time when the days were just a blur and i had absolutely no bowel or bladder control. I was the center of everyone's world. All attention was paid to me. Everyone hung on my every move or utterance. I was the king of the universe. The day i stopped shitting in my pants was the day my life started going downhill. I welcome incontinence, my old friend's return.
Not available during US Presidential Elections (Score:4, Funny)
One slight item missing from the article...
"Due to the fear of mass suicides from the mental anguish caused by elections, the Death With Dignity Act would be suspended three months prior to all elections. "Not wanting to live like this (being exposed to non-stop presidential advertisements)" would not be sufficient excuse to superseded a very important aspect of the law, said spokesperson Dr. Marcia Angell. Everyone choosing this option must be "deemed capable of making an informed decision." It's well documented that during an election season, this is virtually, if not completely impossible."