In the News

Don’t weaken protections in state’s assisted suicide law
Assisted suicide threatens the most vulnerable in society, especially people with disabilities. I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy which, until recently, has been considered a “childhood disorder” because people who were born with it typically did not survive into adulthood. Despite my diagnosis, I have been able to live a full life, even founded

Sharon Quick, MD: HB 1141 is dangerous public policy
By Sharon Quick, MDAmerican Academy of Medical Ethics One would think that Washington state legislators would prioritize saving lives, not making death more accessible, during a global pandemic that has already put too many people prematurely into graves. The House, however, is considering HB 1141, which would expand access to assisted suicide

DREDF and Others Press HHS OCR to Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Healthcare
Support for HHS OCR to publish “[Non-]Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Critical Health and Human Service Programs or Activities” DREDF, with partners Not Dead Yet and the Patients Rights Action Fund, have assembled a total of 30 disability rights and racial justice organizations to support further regulatory action by the U.S.
German Doctor Arrested on Suspicion of Killing Coronavirus Patients
German police said they had opened a murder inquiry against a senior doctor in the western city of Essen over the killing of two seriously ill coronavirus patients with a lethal injection, authorities. The doctor, 44, who had been working at the University Hospital in Essen since February, is suspected of having killed two men,
Assisted suicide cannot be regulated, ripe for abuse and coercion
Any moral society has a duty and a responsibility to protect and defend the vulnerable and the marginalized. But the assisted suicide legislation some Massachusetts lawmakers are considering is a dangerous public policy that threatens the most vulnerable in society: the elderly, people with disabilities, and the terminally ill. Now in the midst of
‘We need to continue our work to prevent suicide’
Growing up I was taught to respect people, especially my elders. It seems that society as a whole has lost respect for each other. The elders of today are no longer valued, the lessons of life they could teach us fall on deaf ears because we are too busy to sit and listen. It
Hospice versus palliative care
Palliative care and hospice are sometimes mistaken as the same thing, even though they’re quite different. Learning about each option can help adults identify which option is best for them should they one day require daily assistance. Palliative care Palliative care may be available at any time for individuals with serious and potentially life-threatening
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month
Today is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month Social Media Action Day! We hope you’ll join us for this day of sharing positive images and stories of hospice and palliative care, using #hapcFacesofCaring and #HospiceMonth. #assistedsuicide #caringnotkilling #endoflifecare
Assisted suicide is flawed
As pastors, we see firsthand the issues that the most vulnerable members of our society face. I see what happens when one life is deemed more valuable than another and that is exactly why we are opposed to legalizing assisted suicide in Massachusetts. Assisted suicide unfairly targets the most vulnerable: the terminally ill, people with
NH Court Expands Guardian’s Authority to Forgo Care Against Ward’s Wishes
New Hampshire court says a guardian doesn’t have to follow a ward’s known preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment, harming patient care and disincentivizing lifesaving care because insurance companies have a cheaper option. In the same way, #assistedsuicide legislation targets the vulnerable, allowing a guardian to be a beneficiary of the patient’s estate AND be signer
Netherlands backs euthanasia for terminally ill children under 12
The Dutch government has approved plans to allow euthanasia for terminally ill children aged between one and 12. …Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said the rule change would prevent some children from “suffering hopelessly and unbearably”. Euthanasia is currently legal in the Netherlands for children older than 12, with mandatory consent from the patient
Legalizing assisted suicide would be disastrous
While some in the Massachusetts legislature support the proposed assisted suicide bill (H.4782/S.2745), legalizing assisted suicide would be disastrous for the most vulnerable among us. During this worldwide pandemic, compassion is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and everyone wants their loved ones to be cared for and comfortable at the end of life; but
The impact of assisted suicide on the most vulnerable members of society
Watch this new video from @hopeire1 on the impact of #assistedsuicide & #euthanasia for the most vulnerable members of society.
You Don’t Discourage Suicide by Assisting Suicides
September is National Suicide Prevention Month Luke’s Story “Every suicide is tragic – whether you’re old or young, healthy or sick, your life is worth living,” says Luke Maxwell, 19, who survived an attempt to take his own life.
Legalizing assisted dying can actually increase suicides
One of the arguments we hear is that assisted dying will bring down the number of violent suicides. It will provide a more peaceful death to patients in unbearable suffering who would otherwise have violently killed themselves. For other patients, the mere option of assisted dying (even if it will never be effectuated) is said
Investing in palliative care will help build a more compassionate society
We must invest in strengthening the nature of our society by raising the level of palliative care and resist all efforts towards facilitating the death of the vulnerable among us. Earlier this month, a cross party group of Parliamentarians heard from internationally renowned Dutch ethicist Professor Theo Boer who, in 2002, initially supported the legalization
Dutch euthanasia supporter warns UK to be wary of ‘slippery slope to random killing of defenseless people’
A champion of the Dutch euthanasia system has admitted that British critics are right to warn that assisted dying is a slippery slope to ‘random killing of the defenceless’. Dr Bert Keizer said that the type of patients whose lives are ended in the Netherlands has spread far beyond the terminally ill and now includes physically
Assisted suicide, care rationing threaten the disabled
New York is considering legalizing assisted suicide, but such a law would threaten the most vulnerable in society: the elderly, the terminally ill and people with disabilities. As someone who lives with a disability and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, I strongly encourage the New York Legislature to reject assisted suicide,
The Prioritization of Life-Saving Resources in a Pandemic Surge Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic is shedding new light on the way patients are treated. In his recently published article, Dr. Jeffrey White discusses the prioritization of life-saving resources in a pandemic surge crisis. We must not allow brutal utilitarian calculus to sacrifice the principles of trust and equity on the altar of crisis, fear or latent