General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is my governor.
To the Members of the California State Assembly.
ABx2 15 is not an ordinary bill because it deals with life and death. The crux of the matter is whether the State of California should continue to make it a crime for a dying person to end his life, no matter how great his pain or suffering.
I have carefully read the thoughtful opposition materials presented by a number of doctors, religious leaders and those who champion disability rights. I have considered the theological and religious perspectives that any deliberate shortening of ones life is sinful.
I have also read the letters of those who support the bill, including heartfelt pleas from Brittany Maynards family and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In addition, I have discussed this matter with a Catholic Bishop, two of my own doctors and former classmates and friends who take varied, contradictory and nuanced positions.
In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death.
I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldnt deny that right to others.
Sincerely,
Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
http://qz.com/517618/read-california-governor-jerry-browns-moving-letter-in-support-of-assisted-dying/
WheelWalker
(8,954 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)Just like his Dad.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)But I have been a Jerry Brown fan since the 1970s. Even supported him in the '76 Dem primaries.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)geardaddy
(24,926 posts)Mark is fantastic. Too bad he doesn't want to run again.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)I'm so proud of him!
ailsagirl
(22,884 posts)MindPilot
(12,693 posts)Humans in California can now pass with the same level of dignity we grant our dogs and cats.
And a big fuck you to the religious assholes who believe that prolonged suffering is a VIP ticket to heaven.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Disability rights organizations oppose it, too.
http://dredf.org/public-policy/assisted-suicide/
And comparing people's lives to those of dogs and cats is demeaning.
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)After you have to change your parents diapers, your outlook will change.
When my dad got old and sick he--and the entire family--suffered horribly. When my dog got old and sick, she died comfortably and peacefully, at home, surrounded by the people she loved. My dad did not have that option.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)And I'll make sure that Mom has Depends, dammit!
RandySF
(58,440 posts)of safeguarding against abuse. A UCSF physician told KQED this morning that they went through Oregon with a fine-toothed comb and could not find an example of someone being pushed into it.
The new law requires two doctors to determine that a patient has six months or less to live before the lethal drugs can be prescribed. Patients also must be physically able to swallow the medication themselves and must have the mental capacity to make medical decisions.
One of the meetings must be private, with only the patient and the physician present. That requirement is aimed at ensuring the patient is acting independently, Monning said. Patients must also reaffirm in writing that they intend to take the medication within 48 hours.
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/10/05/446107800/california-governor-signs-landmark-right-to-die-law
If the patient speaks another language, an certified interpreter must be provided who signs a document as well.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)but approved their lethal doses.
yuiyoshida
(41,818 posts)It's coming and soon.
SunSeeker
(51,504 posts)calikid
(582 posts)AOR
(692 posts)whose austerity policies haven't done shit for the nearly ten million people in California who live in poverty. Your governor sucks and it's a shame Brown doesn't have as much "compassion" and "soul searching" for the living as he does for the dying. Fuck Jerry Brown and austerity.
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)I love that man so much.