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HIGHLIGHT PIECE OF THE WEEK |
The Right Support Changes the Desire to Die |
A reporter for The Guardian, Line Vaaben, steps in to the daily work of a palliative care facility in Denmark. One of the staff members, "Dr Johan Randén has encountered several patients who talk about assisted dying: 'Some of them think, on receiving their diagnosis, that they want to end their life then and there, and might as well get it over with. But they can also live. And I find that when they receive the right support, they let go of that thought." |
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Assisted Suicide Laws Are Inherently Biased |
Sebastian Nalls, Policy Analyst for Access Living, and several other disability organizations write, "Assisted suicide laws are inherently biased against and dangerous for people with disabilities because of systemic health care inequities. A national survey of physicians found that 82% of doctors believe people with significant disabilities have a lower quality of life. This bias often results in inequitable care and can steer patients toward lethal drugs, rather than the life-affirming treatments and supports they need and deserve."
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| UK Assisted Suicide Bill Doesn't Care for Vulnerable People |
Former MP of the UK, Tom Hunt, says of the UK Assisted Dying bill: "It has been deeply depressing to watch a Bill that touches the lives of the most vulnerable in our society in such an intense way handled so shoddily. Or, at least, depressed resignation is where I began. Now I find myself increasingly angry. There are understandably strong views on either side of the argument on this issue, but that is no excuse. A Bill of this nature demands extreme sensitivity, a willingness to listen and to admit you are wrong, a desire to build consensus and a determination to legislate with the vulnerable in mind."
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Assisted Suicide Gives An Illusion of Autonomy
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Ole Hartling, a Professor and Medical Doctor, writes, "A request for euthanasia is made against a backdrop of desperation, a feeling of hopelessness and probably a feeling of being superfluous. Such a situation is a fragile basis for autonomy and for decision making. The choice regarding your own death is therefore completely different from most other choices usually associated with the concept of autonomy." |
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For the most recent update on assisted suicide laws in the states, click here. |
"End Assisted Suicide" is the group of plaintiffs suing the state of California to overturn the Assisted Suicide law there. Our 501(c)(3) sister organization, the Institute for Patients' Rights, has joined this ground-breaking lawsuit as a plaintiff. |
If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the U.S., call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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PRAF is a leading national, non-partisan single-issue organization that protects the rights of patients, people with disabilities, older adults, and other historically underrepresented groups from deadly harm and discrimination inherent in assisted suicide laws. |
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