https://www.compassionandchoices.org/ Compassion and Choices has been working on this for years. I can understand the concern regarding abuse of these laws but I think that can be managed. We take better care of our pets than our elderly and ill populations when it comes to suffering sometimes. Compassion is essential.
Sometimes there are worse things than death. Watching a loved one suffer with cancer and die a slow painful death that end of life provides the only relief, a compassionate end trumps suffering IMO. I would support an assisted suicide law in NY.
This is a tough one. I certainly empathize with the people who are suffering. However, in the bible it states that only God can take a life. Those who take it up on themselves will not be allowed to enter into heaven. So, religiously it's a huge no no. Morally.........not sure. This is definitely a tough one!
We'll, like I said, this one was a hard one. I can only say, and this is going to sound bizarre, people who have tried to kill themselves but survived, have spoken of going to a horrible place with pain and incredible suffering, and a hell-like experience. Other people who have died from other reasons, and came back, speak of a beautiful place that they went to. I believe in life after death, but not everyone does. All I can say is these were documented cases of life after death with different results.
Why can we use euthanasia on pets but not our loved human beings?
We get arrested if we mistreat pets such as leaving them in a hot car but yet we can take them to a vet to be put to sleep. Why can‘t we help our loved family members by ending their misery?
Thanks for your kind words. I'm sure that there were other folks who thought that my decision was completely wrong. I wish the legislature would address this problem instead of removing judges discretion in setting bail.
Folks, it's fine if you pick up ideas from this letter to use for your own letters to representatives, but probably weakens your impact if you copy text directly. Remember, the simplest messages are "I support this bill" or "I strongly support this bill" or "Please co-sponsor this bill" or "Thank you for co-sponsoring this bill." Start there. Add personal details if you have 'em. Keep the message simple.
Hi - as a direct result of reading this newsletter, I sent the following email to my Assembly rep, Carrie Woerner:
Dear Carrie,
I see that you have co-sponsored New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A0995 Paulin).
Thank you ever so much!
Not having this law on the books in NYS means that fears about coming into a final stage of life that is a demented living hell, perhaps lasting months or years, come to mind more and more frequently (I'm 74). I do NOT know how to plan for this.
I know you are busy, but you might take a look at today's newsletter by Will Doolittle ("Marriage is Tough Enough Without This").
Bob Stromberg
Round Lake, NY
Cell: (518) 791-9708
*****
Links did not carry over to this post. Here are two of them:
An absolutely great, great article this a.m.. New York State should pass one as well. . We should contact our legislators today and ask them to support this much needed reform.
So strange that compassion and consciousness and choice are not honored. IN a country obsessed with guns and violence, we make it a crime to die with dignity, to allow a loved one to die with dignity...A country in which people threaten election officials, nurses, libraries, teachers, where absurd conspiracy theories are rampant...we do not honor teachers, critical thinking, creative thought, imagination, questioning but stir people to ban books, to pass laws against trans, to limit education in order to not make someone uncomfortable, to enforce ignorance--to not learn what it is important to know about our complex history, sex education, the environment, ourselves--to be ignorant. Ignorance is not bliss.
To add to what i just wrote: the Catholic Church has been one of the strong voices against compassionate choice in our legislature...and against conscious choice on different issues.
I have always said I would not die of cancer if I could manage to take care of it myself. For the same reason, I am not swayed by the anti-gun arguments that more people are successful if they have access to a firearm. Suicide is often seen as a terrible thing by those left behind but it is never seen that way by the principals. Lots of good ethical debates here but I really appreciate the sensitivity and empathy evident in this piece. Well done.
https://www.compassionandchoices.org/ Compassion and Choices has been working on this for years. I can understand the concern regarding abuse of these laws but I think that can be managed. We take better care of our pets than our elderly and ill populations when it comes to suffering sometimes. Compassion is essential.
Sometimes there are worse things than death. Watching a loved one suffer with cancer and die a slow painful death that end of life provides the only relief, a compassionate end trumps suffering IMO. I would support an assisted suicide law in NY.
This is a tough one. I certainly empathize with the people who are suffering. However, in the bible it states that only God can take a life. Those who take it up on themselves will not be allowed to enter into heaven. So, religiously it's a huge no no. Morally.........not sure. This is definitely a tough one!
The Bible also says people can be stoned for adultery…. So I’m not sure it should be made the standard for all the laws we write.
We'll, like I said, this one was a hard one. I can only say, and this is going to sound bizarre, people who have tried to kill themselves but survived, have spoken of going to a horrible place with pain and incredible suffering, and a hell-like experience. Other people who have died from other reasons, and came back, speak of a beautiful place that they went to. I believe in life after death, but not everyone does. All I can say is these were documented cases of life after death with different results.
One of the key elements of the Vermont law is that two doctors have to document that your condition is terminal with no hope of recovery.
Curious that you consider religion and morality as two separate entities.
I absolutely believe you can be moral and not religious. And I also believe you can be religious and not moral. Lots of examples of that.
I agree. However she takes a stand that religion dictates what is moral but then contradicts that.
June look at Mark 3:28-30
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
I will write my representatives, Hospice is not enough. VT and Oregon have good models for the legislation.
I agree. Vermont has really thought this through. It is difficult to get approval, and that is the way it should be.
Good idea! Even if they are opposed to the idea, they need to hear from constituents. It's part of their job!
So sad that we can take better care of our pets than we do for people with terminal illnesses.
My mother said the same thing. While she was dying of brain cancer.
Why can we use euthanasia on pets but not our loved human beings?
We get arrested if we mistreat pets such as leaving them in a hot car but yet we can take them to a vet to be put to sleep. Why can‘t we help our loved family members by ending their misery?
Does not make sense.
I agree..Assisted Suicide should be legal in every state
I understand. I think with me, it's more of the divine law than the human one. 😊
Thank you for discussing this important and difficult topic. And yes, Vermont shows the way once again.
Thanks for your kind words. I'm sure that there were other folks who thought that my decision was completely wrong. I wish the legislature would address this problem instead of removing judges discretion in setting bail.
It was absolutley the right decision. And fair.
Folks, it's fine if you pick up ideas from this letter to use for your own letters to representatives, but probably weakens your impact if you copy text directly. Remember, the simplest messages are "I support this bill" or "I strongly support this bill" or "Please co-sponsor this bill" or "Thank you for co-sponsoring this bill." Start there. Add personal details if you have 'em. Keep the message simple.
Hi - as a direct result of reading this newsletter, I sent the following email to my Assembly rep, Carrie Woerner:
Dear Carrie,
I see that you have co-sponsored New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A0995 Paulin).
Thank you ever so much!
Not having this law on the books in NYS means that fears about coming into a final stage of life that is a demented living hell, perhaps lasting months or years, come to mind more and more frequently (I'm 74). I do NOT know how to plan for this.
I know you are busy, but you might take a look at today's newsletter by Will Doolittle ("Marriage is Tough Enough Without This").
Bob Stromberg
Round Lake, NY
Cell: (518) 791-9708
*****
Links did not carry over to this post. Here are two of them:
Here's the link for the Assembly bill A0995: https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A00995&term=&Summary=Y&Text=Y
My NY Senator is Jim Tedisco. I asked him to please co-sponsor the NY Senate "same as" bill S2445: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2445
State reps should be having this conversation!
An absolutely great, great article this a.m.. New York State should pass one as well. . We should contact our legislators today and ask them to support this much needed reform.
If I really loved my spouse, I could never ask him to take my life or anyone else's.
Look at it as relieving pain and suffering.
So strange that compassion and consciousness and choice are not honored. IN a country obsessed with guns and violence, we make it a crime to die with dignity, to allow a loved one to die with dignity...A country in which people threaten election officials, nurses, libraries, teachers, where absurd conspiracy theories are rampant...we do not honor teachers, critical thinking, creative thought, imagination, questioning but stir people to ban books, to pass laws against trans, to limit education in order to not make someone uncomfortable, to enforce ignorance--to not learn what it is important to know about our complex history, sex education, the environment, ourselves--to be ignorant. Ignorance is not bliss.
To add to what i just wrote: the Catholic Church has been one of the strong voices against compassionate choice in our legislature...and against conscious choice on different issues.
I have always said I would not die of cancer if I could manage to take care of it myself. For the same reason, I am not swayed by the anti-gun arguments that more people are successful if they have access to a firearm. Suicide is often seen as a terrible thing by those left behind but it is never seen that way by the principals. Lots of good ethical debates here but I really appreciate the sensitivity and empathy evident in this piece. Well done.