Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Extremists vs. the Rest of Us - Tyranny of the Bigots
Suppressing our rights in the name of God
Paul Krugman
Bill Moyers (Welcome Doomsday)
Right to Die - A few books
Paul Krugman's column (What's Going On) in The NY Times describes what we are likely to encounter from the so called "Christian Right" and their friends in Congress. The extremists are not going to be deterred by public opinion about their meddling in the Schiavo case.
Extract from the column:
"Yesterday The Washington Post reported on the growing number of pharmacists who, on religious grounds, refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control or morning-after pills. These pharmacists talk of personal belief; but the effect is to undermine laws that make these drugs available. And let me make a prediction: soon, wherever the religious right is strong, many pharmacists will be pressured into denying women legal drugs. And it won't stop there. There is a nationwide trend toward "conscience" or 'refusal' legislation. Laws in Illinois and Mississippi already allow doctors and other health providers to deny virtually any procedure to any patient. Again, think of how such laws expose doctors to pressure and intimidation.
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They have an unseemly obsession with morning-after pills. They want women to pay for their sins, is that it ?
A news bulltein from Associated Press about groups representing the disabled reads "Activists make point in Schiavo case".
What point ? The supporters of "Right to Die" and "Death with Dignity" movements certainly do not want to force people to do anything. We want terminally ill people to have the right to make the decision whether to be kept alive on life support or not. It is a private matter between the individuals, their families, physicians, and their spiritual advisors. The politicians should have no role in this.
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Bill Moyers
A respected voice in broadcast journalism, over the years Bill Moyers covered many subjects --from 9/11 to The Power of Myth, his acclaimed series of interviews with the late Joseph Campbell--during his appearances on PBS.
Programs hosted by Bill Moyers are no longer a part of the new PBS.
Moyers' essay "Welcome Doomsday" which appeared in the web site of Axis of Logic on March 23rd is timely and incisive.
"The result is what the Italian scholar Emilio Gentile, quoted in Silk's newsletter, calls "political religion"—religion as an instrument of political combat. On gay marriage and abortion— the most conspicuous of the "non-negotiable" items in a widely distributed Catholic voter's guide—no one should be surprised what this political religion portends. The agenda has been foreshadowed for years, ever since Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and other right-wing Protestants set out to turn white evangelicals into a solid Republican voting bloc and reached out to make allies of their former antagonists, conservative Catholics."
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The books listed below contain a wealth of information about the inevitability of death and the choices in facing it. The subject has gained considerable interest in recent weeks. It is one thing to feel indignant about the government's intervention in your life but taking a step to protect yourself from a similar situation is something else. The extremists would probably look for ways to totally block choice for terminally ill patients. Signing an Advance Directive to Physician (Living Will) would be one way to protect yourself. Also, make your position known to your family and friends.
If you believe in it, execute the document. You will not need an attorney; just two witnesses. The form is available from various sources. The World Wide Web contains a vast list of organizations that provide information about this. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is one of them.
Do not lose control over this very important decision.
Recommended reading:
How We Die : Reflections on Life's Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland,MD, Vintage Paperback
On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, The MacMillan Co.
Final Exit by Derek Humphrey, Dell Publishing
Euthanasia and the Right to Die edited by A.B. Dowling, Peter Owen, London
*******
Links:
NYTimes-Krugman
Moyers-Doomsday
AAFP
Paul Krugman
Bill Moyers (Welcome Doomsday)
Right to Die - A few books
Paul Krugman's column (What's Going On) in The NY Times describes what we are likely to encounter from the so called "Christian Right" and their friends in Congress. The extremists are not going to be deterred by public opinion about their meddling in the Schiavo case.
Extract from the column:
"Yesterday The Washington Post reported on the growing number of pharmacists who, on religious grounds, refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control or morning-after pills. These pharmacists talk of personal belief; but the effect is to undermine laws that make these drugs available. And let me make a prediction: soon, wherever the religious right is strong, many pharmacists will be pressured into denying women legal drugs. And it won't stop there. There is a nationwide trend toward "conscience" or 'refusal' legislation. Laws in Illinois and Mississippi already allow doctors and other health providers to deny virtually any procedure to any patient. Again, think of how such laws expose doctors to pressure and intimidation.
They have an unseemly obsession with morning-after pills. They want women to pay for their sins, is that it ?
A news bulltein from Associated Press about groups representing the disabled reads "Activists make point in Schiavo case".
What point ? The supporters of "Right to Die" and "Death with Dignity" movements certainly do not want to force people to do anything. We want terminally ill people to have the right to make the decision whether to be kept alive on life support or not. It is a private matter between the individuals, their families, physicians, and their spiritual advisors. The politicians should have no role in this.
A respected voice in broadcast journalism, over the years Bill Moyers covered many subjects --from 9/11 to The Power of Myth, his acclaimed series of interviews with the late Joseph Campbell--during his appearances on PBS.
Programs hosted by Bill Moyers are no longer a part of the new PBS.
Moyers' essay "Welcome Doomsday" which appeared in the web site of Axis of Logic on March 23rd is timely and incisive.
"The result is what the Italian scholar Emilio Gentile, quoted in Silk's newsletter, calls "political religion"—religion as an instrument of political combat. On gay marriage and abortion— the most conspicuous of the "non-negotiable" items in a widely distributed Catholic voter's guide—no one should be surprised what this political religion portends. The agenda has been foreshadowed for years, ever since Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and other right-wing Protestants set out to turn white evangelicals into a solid Republican voting bloc and reached out to make allies of their former antagonists, conservative Catholics."
Books about end of life choices
If you believe in it, execute the document. You will not need an attorney; just two witnesses. The form is available from various sources. The World Wide Web contains a vast list of organizations that provide information about this. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is one of them.
Do not lose control over this very important decision.
Recommended reading:
How We Die : Reflections on Life's Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland,MD, Vintage Paperback
On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, The MacMillan Co.
Final Exit by Derek Humphrey, Dell Publishing
Euthanasia and the Right to Die edited by A.B. Dowling, Peter Owen, London
Links:
NYTimes-Krugman
Moyers-Doomsday
AAFP
