Washington weighs lethal meds for terminally ill
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – The emotionally charged battle over end-of-life decisions has taken to the airwaves as Washington state voters decide whether to allow doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients.
Recent TV and radio ads by opponents feature actor Martin Sheen, who calls the measure a “dangerous idea” that could be used by the most vulnerable in society. Supporters are on TV with an ad spotlighting a widow who says it lets those who are suffering have control over their final days.
With both sides having raised a combined $3.5 million, much of it still unspent, more ads are expected in the coming weeks.
The measure would allow physicians in Washington state to help terminally ill patients end their lives. Oregon, where voters first approved the idea in 1994, is the only state with such a law.
A recent poll by independent pollster Stuart Elway found that the measure was popular, with 57 percent of voters polled supporting it and 33 percent opposed. That poll, conducted in September, showed 10 percent still undecided, while 16 percent were leaning ‘yes’ and 10 percent were leaning ‘no.’
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Washington weighs lethal meds for terminally ill
Have you ever watched as a loved one died a horrific, painful and slow death? My wife’s mother died from breast cancer, my father died from lung cancer. It seemed like they went fairly fast, less than 6 months from diagnosis to death in my Dad’s case. My wife’s Mom was diagnosed with cancer and lived another year and a half, the last 6 months were really bad for her.
It’s called euthanasia! And it scares the hell out of many religious people. Maybe it’s the reason that I can’t affiliate with an organized religion. I am a strong believer in euthanasia. I personally believe that the practice of euthanasia is NOT murder, I believe it is the most merciful act that one human being can provide for a loved one.
I have had some rather serious health problems over the last few years, I am doing pretty well now, and I am very grateful for that, but I have a living will and a DNR on file with my doctors and the hospital I use. A DNR is a Do Not Resuscitate order for those that don’t know.
My wife and I have an agreement between us, we will not allow one another to lie there and waste away to a skeleton, we will not spend the HUGE amount of money that goes into the perpetual care of a *human vegetable*. We will not *hang on* and leave the other to suffer the pain and loss of dignity that so many seem to think is the proper way of doing things.
Before my son went to Iraq he came to me and gave me all of his paperwork for safekeeping. He too has a living will, not because I made him do it, he was a grown man, I couldn’t make him do anything, he had one because he’s a really smart kid. He told me, “Dad, if something happens to me over there, if I’m all messed up and have no chance of ever getting better, Dad, for God’s sake, PLEASE don’t let me just lay there like that!”
I made him a solemn promise that he wouldn’t have to worry, I would NOT allow him to suffer, knowingly or even if he wasn’t mentally aware of his situation. He came to me because he was certain it would be me that had to make that decision if the time came, he knew that his mother wouldn’t. Thank God none of us had to make that decision, he came home without a scratch!
Todd Donovan, political scientist at Western Washington University, said he wasn’t surprised that Initiative 1000, also known as the “Washington Death with Dignity Initiative,” is polling well.
“There is that libertarian streak in the northwest that it sort of taps into,” he said.
I’m not trying to make this a political argument, a Dem vs Repub vs Libertarian thing, but the courts WILL make it a political argument. The churches WILL make it a political argument. It’s not politics, it’s called personal choice, Death with Dignity, and doing what you believe to be right for you!
I know that I’m not going to persuade anyone to support this lethal meds for terminally ill patients measure that isn’t already pretty well convinced, but I will ask ALL of you this, if you don’t have a living will or an advanced directive on file with your doctors, a lawyer, a family member or someone that can act in your time of need, GET IT DONE NOW! Make your own decisions and make YOUR wishes known! Don’t put that responsibility off on loved ones that may be more inclined to act from the heart.
I Fully agree with this, and MY wife being a VERY religious person is on board with it too…
I think there are times that pulling the plug is best, but I also think giving the wife the authority to pull the plug…
I can see it now, Fred fell and hit his head he is rushed to hospital, WSM is called and as soon as she arrives she screams Pull the damn plug….Hurry…
The doctor would say, Maam it’s only a concussion? WSM.. Give me a minute alone with him please……LMAO
Uh Rob?? Meow… LMAO
Ummm…..can we vote for who to pull the plug on?
That would really energize the base and get the voters out.
If we pull the plug on ALL the libtards and socialists in the Congress and Senate, we’ll have an empty house…
And ya know, that’s NOT an altogether BAD idea…
You can count on my vote!!!!
I’ve verbally expressed with certain family members and close friends that I do not want to suffer, and that I beg of them not to have me wasting away as a vegetable. Truly in those times, people are thinking with their heart and sometimes we are too selfish to let go.
I’d rather someone die with dignity with the full knowledge that this is what they would have wanted than to keep them here against their wishes, just because of the emotional ties.
I watched my wife’s mother pass away last year of pancreatic cancer, diminishing week by week and day by day, in a small room completely by herself, 350 miles away from us, in a nursing facility. We could only visit on weekends and even then it was an extensive trip. Her last days consisted of her back arched in bed, nasal canula affixed but still struggling for every breath, mind not present, eyes open and staring — staring for so long and not seeing, that they were completely dry and fixed, like the eyes of someone dead already.
I concur, and I likewise have told my wife I don’t want to spend my last days in an artificial, sterile room — someone else’s room. I want to be up in my cabin, my last sight that of my bed, my room, the surrounding pines. And if there’s no one home upstairs well, then, do as I’ve asked.
BZ
Tish, a *verbal* order isn’t going to do it, put it in writing, get witnesses, sign it and have it notarized…
As Yogi Berra said, “A verbal contract ain’t worth the paper it’s written on…”
That was one of the greatest non-correct correct things Yogi ever said, and he had a bunch of them…
Put it in writing…
When my first wife went in for a bone marrow transplant (leukemia) she told me she absolutely didn’t want to be kept alive artificially for any reason. I told her I couldn’t comply with her wishes. The nurse said they could do it at the hospital, have it witnessed, and it would be all legal. I said that would be fine with me but she would have to have it done.
Three weeks later, everything suddenly went bad, she went into a coma, and was going downhill real fast as her organs shut down with no hope of recovery…her heart had stopped for over 10 minutes. The doctor wanted me to authorize her to pull the plug but I wouldn’t. Apparently she never got them to legal stuff to allow them to do it. Although there was no hope for her, I wouldn’t do it until my 13 and 19 year old son’s arrived. She held on for 2 hours until my son’s were able to make it. I watched as my 13 year old went up and spoke to her and a yellow jauntus tear rolled down her cheek…she knew he was there. As my son’s were by her side, the heart monitor machine suddenly rose rapidly and then started to fall. I then saw my 19 year old son grab and hold his mother as she slipped into eternity. I’ll never forget that as long as I live.
Each person has to make the decision for themselves and only for themselves. Never leave the decision to others because, like me, they may hang on for hope. But, once my son’s got to see there mother one last time here on Earth, I would have allowed the doctor to pull the plug.
For all the reasons you all have passionately stated I would agree with this law. The problem is how liberal the interpretation may turn out to be.
Oregon has a “Death with Dignity” law that has been in play for a few years. It has all these safe guards to protect people. It has only recently been discovered that one of these requirements has never been done. The law requires a psychological eval to determine if you are suffering from a mental laps and not a terminal illness. So far no one has challenged the 32 (I think) deaths that have fallen under the law.
My only issue with this law is how it is applied. The Hippocratic oath says the doctor will do no harm. How is providing someone with a drug that will end there life not harm. Saving the life is the standard of the definition. There needs to be a more appropriate way of doing this.
If it comes down to simply unplugging life support and allowing the artificial means of life to end. I’m fine with that.
The Mr and I both have our wishes in writing. Our doctors have copies, the hospital has copies, the lawyer has copies. I’ve even told my daughter that if she disputes my wishes, and refuses to pull the plug, I’ll find a way to make her life a living hell, before and after I croak.
We allow people to end the lives of dogs because we are considerate, compassionate and humane. But when it comes to human life we are vicious animals. Strange that.
FYI, I linked to your article from mine Euthanasia – Being a vegetable is not the Problem