91 yr.old suicide maven served with warrant.....

They took away her sewing machine and computer...the 91 yr. old was making quite a bundle selling suicide kits over the Internet. She bragged that she did not have time to cash the checks. She attracted negative attention in OR after it became public that she sold her kit to a 29 yr.old depressed over pain. She callously said that the mother of the deceased young man should be happy that her son is now pain free. 
How cold!

Photo: J. Jensen/10News

No apologies: 91 yr. old widow gets rich selling suicide kits over the Internet...

Chilling and horrendous  story  about a 91 yr. old woman  out of CA making  $98K a yr. selling flimsy suicide kits over the Internet for $60 each.  In some states with legalized assisted suicide such as OR have provisions limiting it to people with terminal illnesses.

Sharlotte Hydorn, the 91 yr.old  entrepreneur,  says she started this  venture after  nursing her husband who died from colon cancer. She tries to insinuate that it is to spare someone from dying a slow, painful death but she only talks about the  distasteful and hard things she had to endure while  nursing him. So I get the impression her hardship was all she had in mind. This lady brazenly sells this over the Internet without consideration for age, health or mental status of the purchaser. She even named her company GLADD so the family would not suspect anything when  the package arrived. She brushes off any suggestion of her guilt stating she does not sit by their bed and make them do this.

"She’s since sent helium hoods to Israel, Brazil, Germany, England, Scotland, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. “I had to look up Singapore on the atlas,” she said."

“I’m too busy to cash the bloody checks,” she told The Daily Beast. “I haven’t made a deposit in three months.”

The brother of her latest known victim, a 29 yr. old man not terminally ill was not impressed with her statements.

"In a society where so many people suffer from depression and other mental-health disorders,” Zach said, “this company has found their niche in the market by peddling death. This is analogous to putting a gun-vending machine next to a depression clinic. 

Photo:  Russell Ogden

BBC shows on death seem to be popular...from natural death in hospice to assisted suicide

Are we fascinated with death....it appears in the UK they are...and we probably are as well. 

The BBC is airing the final days of a man who is being cared for in a hospice facility. This is in response to the previous airing of documentary of a man  traveling to Switzerland to partake of  assisted suicide  at Dignitas. BTW, the owner of Digitas is reported to be quite wealthy for his efforts in running a modest apartment where he offers a lethal cocktail and disposal of remains usually by  cremation. People arguing against assisted suicide felt that this feature was nothing more than a cheer leading for the practice which is not yet legal in the UK. BBC also aired a special about a woman going to Dignitas to have an assisted suicide because she did not want to die of old age. Yikes....are we that narcissistic ??

Whose life is it anyway....assisted suicide, euthanasia or natural death??

I like to watch old movies...last  night I found one from 1981...seems like yesterday entitled
"Whose Life is it Anyway?" I remember watching it and I thought it would be good  to watch it again to see how I felt about it since I am now pro life and write about assisted suicide and euthanasia. I have a different viewpoint  now.


Here is the plot line.... talented sculptor has a terrible car accident that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down.  He spends 6 mos. in a hospital and has daily dialysis. He is married but has no other relatives.  He  tells his wife not to come and see him and go with her life and she agrees referring to him as  the late Ken.
When he realizes that this will be his life going forward with no hope of ever using his arms, hands and legs...he sues to be allowed to die. The judge sides with him. The main doctor vehemently opposes his application to die. He says that the man is clinically depressed and will eventually come to accept his situation and make a new life for himself in a rehab capacity.  So when the character played by Richard Dreyfus  wins his lawsuit, the Dr. asks him what he intends to do now that he is free to leave the care of the hospital...Dreyfus says he will go get a room someplace and just wait until death overtakes him. The Dr. offers for him to stay at the hospital so his pain can be controlled. The Dr. says  he will be taken off daily dialysis and can refuse food and drink if he wants to. "You will be in a coma in a few days and dead within a week", says the Dr. "You aren't thinking of trying any resuscitation on me are  you?" asks Dreyfus. "Not unless you ask for it" answered the Dr.  Dreyfus asks why would you agree to this since you fought so hard not to allow this? "

"Because you might change your mind." said the Dr. 

That is how the movie ended. You never saw him die. You were left to wonder if he changed his mind. He had a sharp mind and made many friends in the hospital.  Now the movie was slanted to get you to agree with the right to die of the paralyzed man who did not want to live that way.  Everyone can sympathize. But since watching that the first time I have had the opportunity to meet people in that situation who went on to have a life with quality...yes, a different kind of quality. But as I watched  the movie the second time....it caused me to ask. Is this the same thing as euthanasia or assisted suicide? No one made an assertive action to end his life. He made the decision to discontinue dialysis  and we don't know if he decided to forgo hydration and nourishment. Isn't that more like someone with a terminal illness who makes the decision to discontinue treatments?


What do you think?

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: 4 US Victories and 1 to go against assisted suicide

 Cross Posted at:
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Assisted Suicide politics in the United States - Four Victories - One to go.

Following the November 2010 elections, the suicide lobby announced that they will legalize assisted suicide in at least one eastern US state and that their push will lead to several states legalizing assisted suicide within the next few years.

It appears that the goals of the suicide lobby are failing.

In Hawaii, Senator Ige sponsored bill SB 803 to legalize assisted suicide that was introduced on January 21. SB 803 was sent to the Senate Health Committee where on February 7, it received more than 4 hours of debate. 

Senate Health committee chairman Josh Green had stated in an interview that he would be supporting the assisted suicide bill. When the vote on SB 803 was called, it was defeated by 4 to 0 in committee 

Green stated that he was swayed by the testimony. The testimony from the disability community was particularly effective. Recent bills to legalize assisted suicide in Hawaii in 2005 and 2007 were also defeated.

In Montana, a December 31, 2009 court decision, did not legalize assisted suicide or create a right to assisted suicide, as the suicide lobby claims, but the court did create a defense of consent for doctors who are prosecuted for assisted suicide.

Montana faced two bills concerning assisted suicide. On February 10, Senator Anders Blewitt sponsored Bill SB 167. To his surprise SB 167 was defeated by a vote of 7 to 5 in the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Several days later Senator Greg Hinkle's Bill SB 116, that would have protected Montana citizens from assisted suicide, was also defeated by 7 to 5 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. That means that after a huge campaign by the suicide lobby, assisted suicide remains illegal in Montana.

Last year the suicide lobby organized a significant push to gain public support for assisted suicide in Idaho. In response to the push by the suicide lobby, on February 4, Senator Russ Fulcher introduced Senate Bill SB 1070 to clean-up the criminal code to ensure that assisted suicide is completely illegal in Idaho.

On March 11, the Idaho Senate passed HB 1070 by a vote of 31 to 2.

On February 2, New Hampshire bill HB 513,that was sponsored by Rep Charles Weed, to legalize assisted suicide was introduced. Those who follow the issue know that a similar bill to legalize assisted suicide was defeated in the New Hampshire legislature, in January 2010, by a vote of 242 to 113.

On February 28, bill HB 513 was debated in the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee. On March 15, HB 513 was defeated by a vote of 234 to 99 in the New Hampshire House. 

This is a substantial victory. HB 513 is essentially an "Oregon Style" bill. This proves that when lawmakers have the opportunity to debate Oregon Style assisted suicide, the majority will reject it as unsafe.

Following the November election, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin promised that his government would legalize assisted suicide in their state. Shumlin, who had unsuccessfully sponsored assisted suicide bills in the past, received significant support from the suicide lobby during his campaign for Governor.

Bill H 274 was introduced on February 17 after more than a month of delays. Once again, H 274 is an "Oregon Style" assisted suicide bill. A similar bill, that was sponsored by Shumlin, was defeated by a vote of 82 to 63 in March 2007.

The Vermont legislators need to examine H 274 and defeat it because it is a Recipe for Elder Abuse and only creates an illusion of choice.

We look forward to the defeat of Vermont bill H 274.

WA:Suicide may be your choice, but law makes everyone lie about it...

Interesting article and point of view on the assisted suicide set of laws that are spreading across our country. In WA, the Death with Dignity Act is a strange law that prescribes how not stating the facts is the  mandated.

"The certificate may not reference the Death with Dignity Act, mention the drug used to terminate life or contain terms such as suicide, assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide, mercy killing or euthanasia. The manner of death must be certified as natural.

If any death certificate fails to comply, the Washington state registrar will reject it and require the medical certifier to sign an “acceptable correction” before issuing a permit allowing burial or cremation – “acceptable correction” meaning a misstatement of the facts."

The writer of the article points out that she does not disagree with the prospect of assisted suicide but objects to the lying and cover up. Interesting point.....

Smith: Dutch Suicide Advocates Set Up Clinic of Death

Dutch Suicide Advocates Set Up Clinic of Death

Friday, January 28, 2011, 11:32 AM

Wesley J. Smith

The Netherlands is a lovely country where many people have eschewed true compassion–the root meaning of which is to “suffer with”–to promote suicide as the answer to human difficulty.  Euthanasia is available via lethal injection for the terminally ill, the chronically ill, people with serious disabilities, and the despairing who are not physically sick.  Infanticide is illegal, but allowed.  Non voluntary mercy killing by doctors is a routine event, with several a day according to studies. The Dutch Supreme Court approved assisted suicide for a woman who wanted to be buried between her two dead children.
One would think that would at last be enough “compassionate” killing, thank you very much. Nope.  Once a culture embraces this brand of nihilism, the appetite for suicide-as-the-answer is never satiated.  Now, some Dutch suicide activists–can you imagine?–are setting up a clinic for those whose doctors won’t make them dead. From Bioedge:

The Dutch voluntary euthanasia society (NVVE) is planning to open an eight-person clinic in 2012 where people can go to end their lives. It estimates that about 1,000 people a year would take advantage of its facilities.  It would cater for people whose doctors have refused to euthanase them. Not only people with an incurable illness, but also people with chronic psychiatric conditions and dementia would be welcome.

Some Dutch doctors are already in the business, compassionately giving their suicidal patients a how to do it yourself guide if they won’t do the deed themselves. They even gave it a name: Autoeuthanasia.
The Dutch like to think of themselves as enlightened leaders of society into modern ways.  I worry they are right. Culture of death, Wesley?  What culture of death?

Company deplores the use of product in capital punishment but does not comment on use in assisted suicide.

AP story about how OK and OH use  Pentobarbital in combination with other drugs  in their executions. I get that the company is upset about that but no outrage or comment about OR using this for assisted suicides?? Can they explain that? So does  this mean opposing capital punishment is politically correct but assisted suicide is off limits?

"That drug's sole U.S. manufacturer, Hospira Inc., of Lake Forest, Ill., deplored the drug's use in executions and also asked states not to use it, to no avail. The company announced last week it was discontinuing the product.Pentobarbital maker Lundbeck Inc. says it never intended for the drug to be used to put inmates to death.

The drug has been used in 200 of the 525 assisted suicides in Oregon since 1998, according to data compiled by the Oregon Public Health Division. It also was prescribed for 5 of 47 assisted-suicide patients in Washington state in 2009, state health statistics show."

MT, HI and VT: as they contemplate legalizing assisted suicide should study the latest results from OR

Cross posted at http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com.
He does such a good job of keeping up with the issues surrounding euthanasia....

In Oregon, the 2010 Death with Dignity report was released. Once again, the number of assisted suicide deaths have increased. In 2010, there were 65 reported cases of assisted suicide in Oregon. There were 59 reported deaths from the 96 lethal prescriptions that were written with an additional 6 deaths from lethal prescriptions written in previous years. The Oregon stats continue to indicate that elder abuse is likely. Those who died by assisted suicide indicated that: 61 (93.8%) of the people felt a loss of autonomy, 61 (93.8%) felt a decreasing ability to participate in activities, while 51 (78.5%) of the people felt that they had lost dignity. Link: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year13.pdf

In Montana, Senator Greg Hinkle has been working to convince the majority of the legislators to support Bill SB 116 that would reverse the Baxter court decision and clearly prohibit assisted suicide. Montana Senator Blewett has introduced Bill SB 167 that would officially legalize assisted suicide in Montana. Last week, former New Hampshire representative Nancy Elliott, had a successful week in Montana speaking to legislators about why they should support SB 116.

If you know any like-minded Montana citizen, please send them an email and ask them to call: 406-444-4800 (between 7:30 am - 5:00 pm) to ask their legislator to support SB 116 - Senator Hinkle's Elder Abuse Prevention Act.

In Vermont, the work to defeat Governor Peter Shumlin's proposed bill to legalize assisted suicide is heating up. A website has been established by a group of concerned Vermont citizens who are working in coalition with groups across Vermont at: http://truedignityvt.org/

In Hawaii, a bill has been introduced to legalize assisted suicide. Senate Bill SB 803 was introduced by Senator IGE.

Vermont nurse - offers a vision of caring rather than assisted suicide

Cross posted at http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com
Worth reading....do we want the US to become like the Netherlands....

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has made the legalization of assisted suicide in Vermont a priority for his government.

In response to Shumlin, Lynne Caulfield, a registered nurse from Dummerston Vermont wrote an inspiring letter that was published in the Rutland Herald paper on January 23, 2011. Caufield made several valid points and she referred to her own personal experience in the death of her husband.

Caufield first stated:

It is hard to believe that with all the pressing budget issues facing the 2011 Legislature, Gov. Peter Shumlin has made doctor-prescribed death one of his first priorities. 

Funded with money outside of Vermont, the proponents of doctor-prescribed death have targeted Vermont as their next victim. It is a sad day when human beings want to help other human beings to die rather than extending compassionate and respectful care to ease suffering and pain. It is especially disturbing that health care professionals are being called upon to assist patients to die rather than live.

She then brings home her point by writing about the ethical code that she follows as a registered nurse. She stated:

As part of the Florence Nightingale pledge, nurses have sworn an oath to “abstain from whatever is deleterious … to not knowingly administer any harmful drug.” The pledge also says, “With loyalty I will endeavor to aid the physician in his work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.” 

Doctors and nurses are expected to exercise beneficence, which is to “do good,” and non-maleficence, which is to “do no harm.” We have pledged to care, not destroy. To expect a doctor to prescribe a lethal dose of barbiturates is the ultimate violation of non-maleficence. 

Death is permanent and irreversible. Doctor-prescribed death should not be legalized in Vermont, because it is not needed. The legalization of doctor-prescribed death could lead to potential abuse and is not without complications.

You’ve heard it said, “Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.” (Some add housework!)... With the advancements in the medical treatment of pain and palliative care, we should assist the chronically ill and dying with compassionate care to make each day comfortable, valuable and precious

.
She then opened her life to us by telling us about her personal family experience.

Switzerland feels uneasy with being known as suicide mecca

"Switzerland is the destination of choice for people from abroad who want to die. The office of the country’s top legal official is pushing to change that.
While assisted suicide is permitted in the Netherlands, Belgium and the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington and Montana, only Switzerland allows doctors to help foreigners end their lives. More than 25 percent of the 380 assisted suicides in Switzerland during 2009 involved foreigners, most of whom died after drinking water laced with a lethal dose of barbiturates.
Former Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, who was replaced by Simonetta Sommaruga in November, has proposed making the practice more difficult by demanding oversight by doctors who aren’t connected with one of the country’s four right-to-die organizations. "

Murder or assisted suicide: both wrong, both tragic

Back in Sept. of 2010,  I posted this from the Seattle Weekly.com. It was a somewhat strange story about a man ,  called homeless by the article , was found strangled. Another homeless man stepped up when the police were at the scene investigating and said that  he had done the strangling as a favor to his friend who was depressed and said he wanted to die. I posted the article and expressed my viewpoint against assisted suicide if indeed that was what it was. I do realize it is legal in WA.  We cannot know if the deceased actually said he wanted to die but regardless he should have received help to live and not die.

One of my faithful readers, anonymous, who monitors this to disagree with me on assisted suicide/abortion/escr/right to life anything  and a person who says he/she is a cousin of the deceased and claims this was murder and keeps writing to demand an apology. Although I point out that I posted what the article said and am against assisted suicide and consider it murder, he keeps telling me to be a good Catholic and apologize as his cousin was murdered. Well, thanks for considering me Catholic which is beside the point but I am not a Catholic.  My mother, however, thanks you for thinking that.

I do not support assisted suicide and what happened to his cousin is tragic, no doubt. I can say that I consider assisted suicide  murder but what is important is not my opinion but the disposition of the case. Did the deceased actually say that to Joshua? We will  never know. I had asked the cousin to tell me the disposition of the case  which surely he/she is following as I am interested in how this turned out. He/she never did so when he wrote to complain the last time that his cousin was murdered and demand an apology for an article that I did not write;  I wrote to the reporter asking for the disposition of the case. He did not know and was not following it. I called the DA and got transferred to several different places but finally got some information on Joshua Stattman who is alleged to have committed the crime. He is still in custody with bail set at one million dollars. There is a preliminary hearing set for 1-19-11.

So for anonymous that supports assisted suicide but is sure this is murder and for  the cousin who is sure this is murder and wants an apology for an article I did not write, let's see what the courts decide. I am opposed to murder and assisted suicide and hope justice is done in this case. Murder or assisted suicide, a life is lost and that is tragic and I oppose both.

TN: Man charged with assisted suicide and abuse of corpse. CT: son charged with assisted suicide

From Tennessean: The man had been charged with abuse of a corpse when he dumped his wife's body in the woods after her death. TBI continued to investigate and now has charged him with murder and assisted suicide in giving her pills that she overdosed on.

In CT, a man is charged with manslaughter in the death of his father who suffered from Alzheimer s Disease by an overdose of alcohol and  amitriptyline. The son claimed the father had confided his intent to commit suicide  before he became incapacitated.

GA woman challenges state law forbidding assisted suicide

 Daily Caller  reports 43 year old woman in GA suffering from Huntington disease is challenging state  law that forbids assisted suicide. She tried to commit suicide in 2008 using methods espoused by Final Exit but was unsuccessful. She fears the suffering associated with the disease. What a sad story of her background including escaping a murder attempt, prior to diagnosis,  from her own mother who was convicted but then released on the grounds of insanity.


 

"Caldwell’s grandfather and uncle had it, and her mother grew so fearful in 1985 that her children would develop it that she shot and killed Caldwell’s 19-year-old brother and then tried to shoot Susan, who was then 18, but missed."

"She claims in the lawsuit that Georgia’s assisted suicide law is vague and unconstitutional. She contends it violates her free speech rights because it blocks her from seeking the advice of right-to-die groups."

Photo: AP/Caldwell family

Assisted suicide: We should stand on the side of life

Cross posted at Pro Life Pro Woman 

"Quite a touching clip on why opposition to legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia is important. I don’t actually think you have to have any faith at all to relate. In matters of life and death, on the precautionary principle alone, we should stand on the side of life because our own understanding is always limited."

And this from the Euthanasia Prevention  Coalition

Peter Shumlin, the democrat candidate for Governor of Vermont was quoted by the Death with Dignity Action Fund as stating:

As Governor, I will strongly champion death with dignity legislation. I have been a sponsor of this legislation for multiple years and I have a track record of bringing people together to get tough things done. ...As Governor, I would make this a top priority and in my State of the State address would ask the legislature to ...pass it prior to adjournment in 2011.

Sorry to report that he won.