Totally agree that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering. Anyone who has watched a love one die in pain and suffering can understand this. Lets hope the senate and the governor do the right thing.
Today is the funeral of a dear friend who fought cancer for 16 years. Her dying process happening at the same time as this statewide conversation has certainly made me deeply aware of how important it is to have agency about ending our own suffering.
If I remember correctly, Stefanik said something about opposing this legislation because she believes in the sanctity of human life. I also believe human life is sacred, which is why I believe every human being should ultimately be the one to decide how much suffering is too much for them.
Does Elise care about the “sanctity” of people being grabbed off the street by masked men and renditioned to El Salvador or Libya? She had a “statement” in my email this morning where she’s recently talked with Mark Levin who’s one of the few people nastier than she is.
The worst part of it is that if there truly is a problem with anti-Semitism on college campuses it should be addressed. She’s such an epic gaslighter that I don’t believe a word she says, tho.
If I was Jewish Elise Stefanik is one of the last people I’d want as my champion.
As a retired family physician, I could not agree more. It was my pleasure to share in the joys of my patients, but it was a burden to watch them suffer unnecessarily at the end.
Boy, this can be a very touchy subject. I have been taught many years ago that it is up to God, and God only when it is time for a person's life to end. That has always stuck with me because I know a few people who have committed suicide. It is stated somewhere in the Bible, I just don't remember where. I certainly respect a person's decision. After all it's their life.
I’m happy that Sylvia is in a place of peace free from pain now. Oddly, I thought of Socrates’ death reading about the process she did. Euthanasia is “good death” and that seems right. The freedom to end our lives when it feels we’ve run our race is the ultimate freedom.
My understanding is that he could’ve saved his life either by defending himself or by going into exile. Exile doesn’t get one remembered quite like being martyred, tho. Truly a “good death.”
Thank you, Will, for the beautiful story and pic of your Aunt Sylvia. Euthanasia, for years, has been thought of in terms of “mercy killing.” But it literally means a “good death” (Greek “eu” means good and “thanatos” means death). Whenever possible, every person deserves a “good death”—filled with kindness and mercy.
Again, Thank You Will fr another insightful compassionate commentary on this incredible law. I fervently hope it gets signed here in New York!!!! Happy Mother's Day to Bella.
I recently witnessed a long, painful process of dying, with many cruel, avoidable indignities. New York and many other States give more compassion to pets than to terminally ill, suffering humans.
I must digress here, because I can't stop thinking about and comparing the millions of skeletal humans (I grew up seeing images of starving Biafran children) who have suffered and continue to suffer similar prolonged and painful indignities and deaths, some due to natural disasters, but most due to political strife, wars for hegemony and economic greed. The difference here, is that most of us are not desperately starving, homeless or forcibly displaced. We have the opportunity to legislate compassionate choices, most others cannot. Fighting to preserve all of the humanitarian, scientific and egalitarian human rights efforts, internally and externally throughout should NOT be a political issue. Yet, here we are. This should make us very righteously indignant.
If NYS works with Compassion and Choices there will be that opportunity in this state also. They have a form that can be filled out by anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the very early stages regarding what they would like to happen to end their life in later development of the disease. At that point they are capable of making that decision and defining their needs. I pray NY passes this law but unfortunately our present national administration appears to be more into cruelty than compassion and kindness. I'm not sure how that will impact the passing of these kinds of laws.
Excellent, as usual, but you’ve got an extra “f” in the atf link. Can you correct it?
Totally agree that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering. Anyone who has watched a love one die in pain and suffering can understand this. Lets hope the senate and the governor do the right thing.
Vermont has had this for years and it seems to be working just fine.
Today is the funeral of a dear friend who fought cancer for 16 years. Her dying process happening at the same time as this statewide conversation has certainly made me deeply aware of how important it is to have agency about ending our own suffering.
If I remember correctly, Stefanik said something about opposing this legislation because she believes in the sanctity of human life. I also believe human life is sacred, which is why I believe every human being should ultimately be the one to decide how much suffering is too much for them.
Does Elise care about the “sanctity” of people being grabbed off the street by masked men and renditioned to El Salvador or Libya? She had a “statement” in my email this morning where she’s recently talked with Mark Levin who’s one of the few people nastier than she is.
The worst part of it is that if there truly is a problem with anti-Semitism on college campuses it should be addressed. She’s such an epic gaslighter that I don’t believe a word she says, tho.
If I was Jewish Elise Stefanik is one of the last people I’d want as my champion.
100%. And what do you think the Venn diagram of people who support the death penalty and people who "believe in the sanctity of life" looks like?
As a retired family physician, I could not agree more. It was my pleasure to share in the joys of my patients, but it was a burden to watch them suffer unnecessarily at the end.
I support death with dignity legislation.
Boy, this can be a very touchy subject. I have been taught many years ago that it is up to God, and God only when it is time for a person's life to end. That has always stuck with me because I know a few people who have committed suicide. It is stated somewhere in the Bible, I just don't remember where. I certainly respect a person's decision. After all it's their life.
Thank you Aunt Sylvie, thank you for not calling it assisted suicide. Let's hope New Yorkers if they choose will have the freedom to die with dignity.
I’m happy that Sylvia is in a place of peace free from pain now. Oddly, I thought of Socrates’ death reading about the process she did. Euthanasia is “good death” and that seems right. The freedom to end our lives when it feels we’ve run our race is the ultimate freedom.
Although Socrates did not exactly choose to die when he did. Maybe that's why you day "oddly."
My understanding is that he could’ve saved his life either by defending himself or by going into exile. Exile doesn’t get one remembered quite like being martyred, tho. Truly a “good death.”
We give our animals that freedom - not causing them to suffer - seems humans deserve that freedom too.
Thank you, Will, for the beautiful story and pic of your Aunt Sylvia. Euthanasia, for years, has been thought of in terms of “mercy killing.” But it literally means a “good death” (Greek “eu” means good and “thanatos” means death). Whenever possible, every person deserves a “good death”—filled with kindness and mercy.
Again, Thank You Will fr another insightful compassionate commentary on this incredible law. I fervently hope it gets signed here in New York!!!! Happy Mother's Day to Bella.
I shall write our Senator and the Governor today. Thanks for bringing this up.
I recently witnessed a long, painful process of dying, with many cruel, avoidable indignities. New York and many other States give more compassion to pets than to terminally ill, suffering humans.
I must digress here, because I can't stop thinking about and comparing the millions of skeletal humans (I grew up seeing images of starving Biafran children) who have suffered and continue to suffer similar prolonged and painful indignities and deaths, some due to natural disasters, but most due to political strife, wars for hegemony and economic greed. The difference here, is that most of us are not desperately starving, homeless or forcibly displaced. We have the opportunity to legislate compassionate choices, most others cannot. Fighting to preserve all of the humanitarian, scientific and egalitarian human rights efforts, internally and externally throughout should NOT be a political issue. Yet, here we are. This should make us very righteously indignant.
Bravo
If NYS works with Compassion and Choices there will be that opportunity in this state also. They have a form that can be filled out by anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the very early stages regarding what they would like to happen to end their life in later development of the disease. At that point they are capable of making that decision and defining their needs. I pray NY passes this law but unfortunately our present national administration appears to be more into cruelty than compassion and kindness. I'm not sure how that will impact the passing of these kinds of laws.
I fully support this … I will be contacting our legislators.