🙄 We believe every child born be healthy, wanted, and loved. Don’t you? Not all pregnancies work out, even when they’re wanted pregnancies. So yes, for the sake of the woman, sometimes it is a “good death” so a woman can preserve her health to try again. How about you mind your own uterus? (Betting you don’t actually have one, you just like interfering of the privacy & judging of those who do.)
I certainly hope this is a conversation you have with a woman before you have what I hope is only consensual sex with her. You are not the one risking your life and health to carry a pregnancy and deliver a child so while I expect she may consult you on your opinion, you do not get final say. A woman’s body is not your property even if she is potentially carrying your child. Frankly, the tone of your statement gives off serious 🚩🚩🚩.
Define abort, abortive, abortion. So many different categories, so many different options, so many different details. Consequently, non of our business!! Strictly between a woman and her health care provider. Every situation is different.
I am very much in favor of the assisted death concept. For any family of a loved one who is dying, this is an option that should be available to them collectively. The last time I was with my Mom (2 years ago) I left her side with the prayer that she be taken "soon" so that she could be with my Dad for whom she had cared for for 40 years. Fortunately, that prayer was answered the very next morning, after considerable suffering. I would want the option, along with my family, to determine when it is time.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I hope that I would be able to support my spouse in her final days and months as you did. My Dad went through a painful, cancer related death. The last time I was with him he cried while asking why they would not let him die. A death with dignity should be an option for all of us. How do we make if happen here in NYS?
Ken wrote: "We told him about Project 2025 and Trump's plan to open concentration camps to deport a million illegal immigrants. What was shocking to me was he didn't seem to know any of this."
According to a Gallup poll last year, only about a third of Americans pay close attention to national politics.
I don't know what the other two-thirds are doing.... (Yes, I know, we have jobs, families, other interests, busy lives, etc. But good reporting from reliable sources is easily available in various formats -- print, digital, video, and audio. And it takes very little time to stay up-to-date with the news.)
Given the amount of time many people complain about politics, at least they can spend a small amount of time staying informed.
I’m sorry you had to endure the situation with your wife and mother. I totally agree with you about death with dignity. My mother was recently admitted to a nursing home. Thankfully her mental capacity is still quite good. However, on every visit, I see other residents who are listless, have no idea where they are, who their family members are or have any coherent connection with others. They aren’t going to get better. When I see that, I think, why? Why are they existing? Why do loved ones need to endure the emotional pain of seeing their loved one that way? Why are families losing their hard earned assets to pay for the extraordinary costs of keeping their loved one existing? Why do we let humans exist like this when we show more compassion for our pets by putting them down. It’s complicated with lots to consider, but I know I don’t want to exist. If my body and mind together are not providing a satisfactory quality of life, I want to pass with dignity.
Great column today - I agree with you on Death with Dignity. We all need to be able to make sound medical decisions for our own bodies. Elise - ugh, she's a lost cause, as are many of our ignorant Countrymen. They have grown up pulling the lever for D or R and care little of the candidates' substance.
My father passed after a six month battle with lung cancer. One day he told me, with all the horrors he went through, that the worst thing for him was his loss of dignity.
The man you met in the bar, claimed to not know the issues but he had already made up his mind about Kamala Harris and Trump. No amount of facts could sway him. It's scary that facts don't matter or are skewed to fit the narrative.
Glad to know there is a resistance, albeit a small one, that's pushing back against Stefanik.
I wonder where someone in Queensbury got the idea to stick an antiElise sign in a toilet in their yard from? Could they have recently been in Potsdam, NY where there are several spots around Potsdam featuring "toilet art"? Those same spots feature Elise for Congress signs. Someone cleverly took a photo of one of those toilets with an Elise sign beside it and captioned it "Flush Elise".
haha..Elise is such a joke...I'm waiting for the day she loses her stranglehold on our district and gets "run outta Dodge on a rail"....
As for dignity i dying...it's the super conservative Catholic Church and some Protestant churches that keep lobbying to keep this law off the books...and it's shameful. I had to put my calico cat to sleep yesterday, and it was a spiritual experience...after lots and lots of love and cuddles, she went to sleep in my arms, then when the final shot was injected, her heart stopped almost immediately. Dying is NOT lovely, however, this experience was pretty close. So, why can't we treat Human beings with the same love care and compassion??? I do believe Somewhere in us barbarians live...
Yes! But we need to really provide this option. My sister in Colorado prepared for this carefully under their rules and at a costs of $700+ for the cocktail. When it came time to use it, she couldn't because it required her to drink 8 ounces of liquid at one time. Turned out she was too ill to do this, she choked after drinking 2 ounces of a 'trial run' and gave it up. She then tried to stop eating and drinking which a video claimed would work in 4 days but after 4 days she asked for a sip of water. She died about three days later. She fought for her life for over 5 years with chemo treatments and one remission. She earned the right to die as she chose. Colorado did not provide this option.
Thanks for your transparency, Ken, and your existential perspectives on death with dignity.
Euthanasia is often mistakenly described as “mercy killing.” But the two Greek words from which come our word euthanasia are: “eu” means “good” and “thanatos” means “death.”
Euthanasia is not “mercy killing” it is a “good death”—i e, dying with dignity.
I, too, believe that should be an option among other options.
Another present option is Hospice—which has as its mission to provide the dying with a “good death.” Back in the 1990’s I assisted in training for Hospice volunteers on the spiritual needs of the dying. Also, in my own pastoral care giving I experienced the benefits of Hospice and its wholistic approach of body, mind, and spirit. I recommend Hospice to anyone as a present option. It is available through Glens Ffalls Hospital.
(Excuse my ramblings, but I’m sitting on a piece of equipment at Planet Fitness.:).
We had a very good experience with Hospice for my father. In a coma, he was lingering, however, The volunteers asked me if there was anyone who had not given my father permission to pass. Yes, my mother!. She was in total denial; in fact, she would not even look into his room as she passed by. Despite my talking with her, she refused to follow the recommendation of Hospice. One of the volunteers insisted that she go into my father's room to say her farewell and give him permission to leave this earth. He peacefully passed within hours.
Skip ahead two years later. My mother had 24/7 private care and was in Hospice. She had been complaining of headaches. One evening, she suddenly developed a very severe headache. I called the Hospice volunteer on duty. Given the late hour, she questioned if I really thought her coming was necessary. I replied that I would not be calling if it seemed unnecessary. She reluctantly allowed that she would come from Warrensburg to my mother in Queensbury. By the time of her arrival, my mother was having seizures. Between seizures my mother's final word was "Excruciating". I believe that her breast cancer , diagnosed 18 months prior, and for which she chose no action, had mediatized to her brain. She died a horrible death. Certainly not with dignity. I would firmly support a Death with Dignity law being enacted in NY state.
Thank you again, Ken. I was very moved by your words about your experiences with loved ones. I cannot understand why anyone would not approve that law. My answer is the power of the Catholic Church in fighting against it--not out of morality but out of dogma, not out of listening to the real needs of people but in imposing doctrinal ideas.
🙄 We believe every child born be healthy, wanted, and loved. Don’t you? Not all pregnancies work out, even when they’re wanted pregnancies. So yes, for the sake of the woman, sometimes it is a “good death” so a woman can preserve her health to try again. How about you mind your own uterus? (Betting you don’t actually have one, you just like interfering of the privacy & judging of those who do.)
It’s exactly as it sounds. By the way, all the reasons that women choose to have abortions are none of your business.
I certainly hope this is a conversation you have with a woman before you have what I hope is only consensual sex with her. You are not the one risking your life and health to carry a pregnancy and deliver a child so while I expect she may consult you on your opinion, you do not get final say. A woman’s body is not your property even if she is potentially carrying your child. Frankly, the tone of your statement gives off serious 🚩🚩🚩.
Bravo Rachel!!!!
Troll!!
Define abort, abortive, abortion. So many different categories, so many different options, so many different details. Consequently, non of our business!! Strictly between a woman and her health care provider. Every situation is different.
I am very much in favor of the assisted death concept. For any family of a loved one who is dying, this is an option that should be available to them collectively. The last time I was with my Mom (2 years ago) I left her side with the prayer that she be taken "soon" so that she could be with my Dad for whom she had cared for for 40 years. Fortunately, that prayer was answered the very next morning, after considerable suffering. I would want the option, along with my family, to determine when it is time.
Steven
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I hope that I would be able to support my spouse in her final days and months as you did. My Dad went through a painful, cancer related death. The last time I was with him he cried while asking why they would not let him die. A death with dignity should be an option for all of us. How do we make if happen here in NYS?
Ken wrote: "We told him about Project 2025 and Trump's plan to open concentration camps to deport a million illegal immigrants. What was shocking to me was he didn't seem to know any of this."
According to a Gallup poll last year, only about a third of Americans pay close attention to national politics.
I don't know what the other two-thirds are doing.... (Yes, I know, we have jobs, families, other interests, busy lives, etc. But good reporting from reliable sources is easily available in various formats -- print, digital, video, and audio. And it takes very little time to stay up-to-date with the news.)
Given the amount of time many people complain about politics, at least they can spend a small amount of time staying informed.
It was New Orleans. This report is unsurprising to me.
I’m sorry you had to endure the situation with your wife and mother. I totally agree with you about death with dignity. My mother was recently admitted to a nursing home. Thankfully her mental capacity is still quite good. However, on every visit, I see other residents who are listless, have no idea where they are, who their family members are or have any coherent connection with others. They aren’t going to get better. When I see that, I think, why? Why are they existing? Why do loved ones need to endure the emotional pain of seeing their loved one that way? Why are families losing their hard earned assets to pay for the extraordinary costs of keeping their loved one existing? Why do we let humans exist like this when we show more compassion for our pets by putting them down. It’s complicated with lots to consider, but I know I don’t want to exist. If my body and mind together are not providing a satisfactory quality of life, I want to pass with dignity.
You bring up a good point, a nasty one at that. Do medical and nursing facilities draw out the death process for monetary gain?
Great column today - I agree with you on Death with Dignity. We all need to be able to make sound medical decisions for our own bodies. Elise - ugh, she's a lost cause, as are many of our ignorant Countrymen. They have grown up pulling the lever for D or R and care little of the candidates' substance.
I understand that there are now 5 or 6 Harris/Walz signs up on 9N in Lake Luzerne now.
My father passed after a six month battle with lung cancer. One day he told me, with all the horrors he went through, that the worst thing for him was his loss of dignity.
The man you met in the bar, claimed to not know the issues but he had already made up his mind about Kamala Harris and Trump. No amount of facts could sway him. It's scary that facts don't matter or are skewed to fit the narrative.
Glad to know there is a resistance, albeit a small one, that's pushing back against Stefanik.
I wonder where someone in Queensbury got the idea to stick an antiElise sign in a toilet in their yard from? Could they have recently been in Potsdam, NY where there are several spots around Potsdam featuring "toilet art"? Those same spots feature Elise for Congress signs. Someone cleverly took a photo of one of those toilets with an Elise sign beside it and captioned it "Flush Elise".
Word gets around, doesn't it.
Also very creative.
Unfortunately it has disappeared.
The Queensbury toilet?
Yes, the one on the corner of Dixon and Old Forge roads.
That is interesting.
Quality of life and death with dignity.
I support Death with Dignity. We do it for pets, why not each other?
haha..Elise is such a joke...I'm waiting for the day she loses her stranglehold on our district and gets "run outta Dodge on a rail"....
As for dignity i dying...it's the super conservative Catholic Church and some Protestant churches that keep lobbying to keep this law off the books...and it's shameful. I had to put my calico cat to sleep yesterday, and it was a spiritual experience...after lots and lots of love and cuddles, she went to sleep in my arms, then when the final shot was injected, her heart stopped almost immediately. Dying is NOT lovely, however, this experience was pretty close. So, why can't we treat Human beings with the same love care and compassion??? I do believe Somewhere in us barbarians live...
I am so, so sorry about your wife.
We made the decision to remove our infant son from life support.
The most horrible decision I have had to make, but the alternative was horrible, too.
People should have options and do what is best for them.
Yes! But we need to really provide this option. My sister in Colorado prepared for this carefully under their rules and at a costs of $700+ for the cocktail. When it came time to use it, she couldn't because it required her to drink 8 ounces of liquid at one time. Turned out she was too ill to do this, she choked after drinking 2 ounces of a 'trial run' and gave it up. She then tried to stop eating and drinking which a video claimed would work in 4 days but after 4 days she asked for a sip of water. She died about three days later. She fought for her life for over 5 years with chemo treatments and one remission. She earned the right to die as she chose. Colorado did not provide this option.
Whatever happened to human care and concern for others? I’m so sorry your sister went through so much and that you had to watch it helplessly.
Thanks for your transparency, Ken, and your existential perspectives on death with dignity.
Euthanasia is often mistakenly described as “mercy killing.” But the two Greek words from which come our word euthanasia are: “eu” means “good” and “thanatos” means “death.”
Euthanasia is not “mercy killing” it is a “good death”—i e, dying with dignity.
I, too, believe that should be an option among other options.
Another present option is Hospice—which has as its mission to provide the dying with a “good death.” Back in the 1990’s I assisted in training for Hospice volunteers on the spiritual needs of the dying. Also, in my own pastoral care giving I experienced the benefits of Hospice and its wholistic approach of body, mind, and spirit. I recommend Hospice to anyone as a present option. It is available through Glens Ffalls Hospital.
(Excuse my ramblings, but I’m sitting on a piece of equipment at Planet Fitness.:).
We had a very good experience with Hospice for my father. In a coma, he was lingering, however, The volunteers asked me if there was anyone who had not given my father permission to pass. Yes, my mother!. She was in total denial; in fact, she would not even look into his room as she passed by. Despite my talking with her, she refused to follow the recommendation of Hospice. One of the volunteers insisted that she go into my father's room to say her farewell and give him permission to leave this earth. He peacefully passed within hours.
Skip ahead two years later. My mother had 24/7 private care and was in Hospice. She had been complaining of headaches. One evening, she suddenly developed a very severe headache. I called the Hospice volunteer on duty. Given the late hour, she questioned if I really thought her coming was necessary. I replied that I would not be calling if it seemed unnecessary. She reluctantly allowed that she would come from Warrensburg to my mother in Queensbury. By the time of her arrival, my mother was having seizures. Between seizures my mother's final word was "Excruciating". I believe that her breast cancer , diagnosed 18 months prior, and for which she chose no action, had mediatized to her brain. She died a horrible death. Certainly not with dignity. I would firmly support a Death with Dignity law being enacted in NY state.
Thank you again, Ken. I was very moved by your words about your experiences with loved ones. I cannot understand why anyone would not approve that law. My answer is the power of the Catholic Church in fighting against it--not out of morality but out of dogma, not out of listening to the real needs of people but in imposing doctrinal ideas.