Sens. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, and Jim Abeler, R-Anoka. (Courtesy of the Minnesota Legislature) We are facing another wave of trying to legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota. Three years ago, legislation would have authorized doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for patients to intentionally end their...
Patient autonomy erodes away when doctors, insurers, and a profit-driven healthcare system make qualitative judgements on whether a person’s life is worth living. Sadly, murder has become legitimized as medicine. "A Dutch doctor was acquitted Wednesday in a landmark trial that prosecutors and physicians hope will...
All of us are moved by cases of people suffering from terrible illnesses such as Motor Neuron Disease, but these cases do not provide justification for ripping up long held and essential protections for disabled and vulnerable people. By treating those who are terminally ill, disabled,...
Assisted suicide laws send the message that under difficult circumstances, some lives are not worth living. Unfortunately, this is a message that will be heard not only by terminally ill individuals, but by all vulnerable persons who are tempted to take their own lives. Suicide is...
In response to Assemblywoman Galef's letter ("Support the Medical Aid in Dying Act"), we should not forget what Derek Humphry, co-founder of the Hemlock Society (now "Compassion & Choices) said in his book: "...
Opponents of assisted suicide urge lawmakers to focus on improving access to quality palliative care and assisted living for the seriously ill, not assisted dying. This is especially relevant given the last 20 years of data out of Oregon showing that the top 5 reasons...
Proponents often argue that assisted suicide is necessary to prevent poor death experiences. However, there's much that can be done to improve access to hospice and improve the quality of hospice services available. Let's improve care at the end of life, not end the patient's...
The Aug. 1 law permitting terminally ill patients to end their lives was briefly put on hold during a legal skirmish in a suit brought by Yosef Glassman, a Bergen County physician. Dr. Glassman’s suit raises moral questions about how the public may be ensnared...
The Aug. 1 law permitting terminally ill patients to end their lives was briefly put on hold during a legal skirmish in a suit brought by Yosef Glassman, a Bergen County physician. Dr. Glassman’s suit raises moral questions about how the public may be ensnared...
An appeals court Tuesday overturned the restraining order that halted New Jersey’s “Aid in Dying” law, which enables terminally ill people to obtain a prescription and end their lives. Yosef Glassman, the physician in Englewood who challenged the law on religious and professional grounds, immediately filed...