This is a companion piece to Confronting MAID: Is it Autonomy? by Ms. Boomer-ang Project Censored observes that on some issues, the most commonly-heard voices “distract our attention from what we really need to know” and “keep us focused on minor or misleading parts of the story,” while “the important things…continue moving forward largely free from journalistic... Read More ..read more

by Ms. Boomer-ang   Referring to Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) as an individual’s autonomous action can divert discussions to when autonomy is desirable and away from whether MAID really gives the patient/victim autonomy. MAID requires the cooperation of other people.  Autonomy implies self-initiation.  But how many fatal prescriptions are first suggested or initiated by... Read More ..read more

by Jacqueline Harvey Abernathy, Ph.D. MSSW Those committed to protecting human life at all ages celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 2022, after 49 years of legalized lethal violence claiming millions of babies across the United States. The sheer carnage of universal access to abortion in every state... Read More ..read more

by Sarah Terzo   Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying law took effect in June 2016. The law allows those with disabilities or chronic illnesses to be killed by a doctor at their request. Many stories have come out about disabled people “choosing” euthanasia because of poverty or inability to get treatment. A Charity Worker Speaks Out Meghan Nicholls As of 2023, over 1.5 million disabled Canadians were living in poverty. Many of them are turning to MAID. Charities that help poor disabled people have noticed the problem. Meghan Nicholls, CEO of the Mississauga Food Bank, said: We’re at the point ..read more

An earlier version of this post was published by Patheos on Sept. 7, 2023 by Lois Kerschen In current discussions about programs like Canada’s Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID), I am reminded of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation: “Half a Life,” which aired on May 6, 1991. (Clips of this episode are available on YouTube.) David Ogden Stiers plays a scientist who must abandon important research because he is turning 60, the age at which all people on his planet must perform the “Resolution,” a ritual act of voluntary euthanasia. The ritual is intended to relieve society from the res ..read more

by Ms. Boomer-ang   Sometimes strong arguments for the Right to Life do not receive the attention they deserve. For example, an important argument against euthanasia and assisted suicide is that people can be coerced into ending their lives in these ways. I was recently reminded of this strong-yet-sometimes-neglected argument when reading a piece criticizing euthanasia by Wesley J. Smith. The essay includes both very strong points and points that need strengthening. The strongest point the essay makes is that a “woman in the Netherlands [was] held down by her family as she struggled again ..read more

by Rachel MacNair   My first inclination when I thought about writing this post soon after the event was that I better not. It was a private event and my thoughts shouldn’t be broadcast for fear of invading privacy. But it’s now been publicized in The Washington Post, which is about as public as it gets. And in that article, I’m conscripted into a supporting role I never agreed to. I wasn’t named, but I was part of a group that was implied to be supportive of what happened (visiting Quakers) when I’m actually appalled. So writing this becomes an obligation. I listened in great consternati ..read more

by Sonja Morin   Sonja Morin Euthanasia has returned to legislative consideration in Massachusetts, my home state. For as long as I can remember, an attempt to introduce euthanasia into our state laws would rise up every couple of years like clockwork. And every time, the bill would be struck down soon enough, even if it was by a slim majority. This year’s euthanasia bill campaign feels different: that there is a potential for the euthanasia bill to succeed. The reason? The deceptive language, attitudes, and actions that continue to entrench our society in dehumanization.   “Not My ..read more

Lois Kerschen by Lois Kerschen   Palliative Care Legislatures around the world are increasingly passing bills that allow for euthanasia and assisted suicide. This is a trend we must resist, and we can do so by educating ourselves and others about palliative care.       Allow me to recommend an excellent book on this subject: That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour (2019), written by Dr. Sunita Puri.     This book is not technical or academic. It is biographical, easy to read, and a fascinating meditation on Dr. Puri’s experiences during her resi ..read more

by Katharine Gilchrist Angela Kennedy Consistent ethic advocate Angela Kennedy has died at the age of 57 (November 26, 2020). She was the editor of the anthology Swimming against the Tide: Feminist Dissent on the Issue of Abortion (1997), which covered the topic of the consistent life ethic. Angela leaves behind her daughter Stevie and son Sean. Her passion for many of the issues closest to her heart was informed by a succession of difficult life experiences. She faced many challenges and fought them with a fierceness that was an inspiration. Her background in nursing informed her oppositio ..read more