Weblog of Derek Humphry, Founder of Hemlock Society
May 9th, 2008 by ergo
For present and future reference, there is now a complete list of the assisted suicide laws in every USA State on ERGO’s home page at
http://www.finalexit.org/lawsnamerica.html
Background: this useful list was compiled by the judge in the George Exoo deportation case recently. Suggest you bookmark this page.
———Derek Humphry, Oregon
May 8th, 2008 by ergo
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in Mexico favour the basic principle of euthanasia, according to a poll by Parametría. 59 per cent of respondents think doctors should have the legal right to end the life of a person suffering from an incurable illness upon a request by the patient and his or her relatives, while 35 per cent disagree.
On Apr. 22, the Mexican Senate voted 70-0 in favour of legalizing passive euthanasia. This concept allows doctors to withdraw life-sustaining medication from patients, but not to, for instance, administer poisons. Assisted suicide or active euthanasia occurs when an individual who is not physically capable of ending his or her own life requests the help of a physician to do so.
The Mexican bill calls for legalizing passive euthanasia when the patient is in palliative care and has been given less than six months to live. Doctors have to act with consent Continue Reading »
May 1st, 2008 by ergo
CLARIFICATIONS
Helping the Washington State initiative planned for this November………………
The aim is to introduce a law by citizens’ ballot initiative similar to Oregon’s ten year old physician-assisted dying law. The PAC running the campaign (formerly called It’s My Decision) is now called Yes! on I-1000, www.yeson1000.org
Running the campaign is a coalition of right to die groups (Compassion and Choices of Washington: C&C National, the Death With Dignity National Center, and ex-governor Booth Gardner.) The coalition is called the WA Death With Dignity Coalition.
The best way to help the campaign is to either make direct (nondeductible) donations, by sending checks to:
YES! on I-1000,
PO Box 21984, Seattle, WA 98111
Or go to the website, www.yeson1000.org, click on the “donate” button, and make a donation online.
——-Derek Humphry, ERGO 5.1.08
Apr 28th, 2008 by ergo
I would like to clarify the earlier response to a question raised by Alida Westman in regard to the state of Washington I-1000 ballot initiative. First, as an organization Hemlock still exists. The name is
owned and registered under a federal trademark by Compassion & Choices.
Although “Hemlock” is no longer the overreaching name of the organization, it is still actively used as part of Compassion & Choices’ educational arm.
Second, Compassion & Choices is working closely in concert with “It’s My Decision.” The latter is engaged in securing the
roughly 225,000 signatures that are needed to get the initiative on the
November ballot, while the former is working on a public education campaign to raise awareness of Oregon’s ten years of success and how similar results can be expected if Washington were to pass its own law.
Both organizations are raising funds for their respective roles in the
initiative so, to answer Alida’s question, the appeal is “for real.”
–Roland L. Halpern, Director Community Relations
Compassion & Choices
Apr 27th, 2008 by ergo
A terminally ill man who was about to be helped to die via physician-assisted suicide under Oregon’s Death With Dignity law, offered those who were there to help him the information that he had twice voted against the law when it was a ballot initiative in l994 and l997.
But now that he needed assisted dying he had changed his mind.
(Under this law a doctor may prescribe a lethal oral overdose for a dying adult — residents only — who requested it 14 days previously.)
Apr 25th, 2008 by ergo
I was contacted today by a person who said she was from Hemlock, and they were raising funds for the Death with Dignity proposal in Washington? I've been contacted by Washington directly also? Is Hemlock doing this?? Is the appeal for real? -----------Alida Westman BLOG MANAGER DEREK HUMPHRY RESPONDS: Hemlock as a national organization no longer exists. Either there was a misunderstanding or a lie on the telephone. The attempt to change the law in Washington State is by a coalition led by the DEATH WITH DIGNITY NATIONAL CENTER, based in Portland, Oregon. The coalition is named "It's My Decision". Here is how you can support the Washington State Ballot initiative planned for this Nov. to introduce a law similar to Oregon’s on physician-assisted suicide statute. The coalition running the campaign is: It’s My Decision PO Box 21984, Seattle, WA 98111 Telephone +206-633-2008 Email: campaign@itsmydecision.org Website: www.itsmydecision.org Contributions are sorely needed, but, remember, they are not tax-deductible. If called, make very sure to whom you are talking. It’s a common scam for telephone fraudsters to introduce the name of someone else well-known (in this case Hemlock)to gain confidence and money. Best to mail a check.–D.H.