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Easing Suffering Became "Real Personal Issue" For Doctor [Hartford Courant]
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-assisted-suicide-blick-1008.artoct08,0,6897535.story

"Dr. Gary Blick of Norwalk has treated more than his share of dying patients and says it is time someone takes a stand on behalf of physicians like him — doctors who feel moved to prescribe medicines that terminally ill patients could use to hasten death."

We Should All Have The Right To Die As We Choose [Hartford Courant]
http://www.courant.com/health/hc-ubinas1008.artoct08,0,4636913.column

Hartford Courant reporter editorializes about Hunt Williams helping his friend to die: "brave enough to stand by his friend, compelled by love to do what the state won't allow, what those who oppose say no one has the right to do." For the argument that doctors must "do no harm", she says: "listening to Williams, it was clear that harm is being done."

Doctors file "aid in dying" lawsuit [Connecticut Post]
http://www.connpost.com/ci_13506203

"Two southwestern Connecticut physicians want to help terminally ill patients to die, so they're asking Connecticut courts to decide on the meaning of "suicide" in state law. The attempt to overturn a 40-year-old law could have national ramifications and make Connecticut a focus of debate on end-of-life issues that divide the public and the medical profession itself."

Suit seeks to let dying pick time to end life [Republican-American, Connecticut]
http://www.rep-am.com/News/441439.txt

"Huntington Williams is clear of criminal charges for helping a terminally ill friend end his life, but he remains part of the struggle for the right to die. The 79-year-old Cornwall man is backing a lawsuit that asks state courts to clarify whether doctors can prescribe life-ending medications for dying patients to take themselves."

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Motion 388 receives its first hour of debate in Canadian House of Commons [Euthanasia Prevention Coalition]
http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2009/10/motion-388-receives-its-first-hour-of.html

[Editor: In view of this piece, I don't think it would be wild speculation to view Motion 388 as an anti-euthanasia stalking horse to outlaw Internet information about assisted suicide, much as has been done by the government of Australia. Schadenberg's note seems to conflate counseling to commit suicide with ensuring that terminally-ill people have assisted suicide as an option.]

Alex Schadenberg's coverage of the debate on Motion 388: "Harold Albrecht MP introduced Motion 388 to encourage the government to clarify Section 241 of the Criminal Code in order to ensure that the law applies to Internet suicide predators."

"Rod Bruinooge (CPC) spoke in favour of M388 and asked if the motion would act as a push-back to groups attempting to normalize suicide."

Bloc MP Serge Menard said: "that suicide is the second leading cause of death in Quebec. He then stated, "We believe that it is important to ensure that counseling or aiding and abetting suicide is an offence, no matter the means used - including telecommunications, the Internet or a computer system." Alex's Note: This comment is especially interesting considering the fact that the Bloc Quebecois supports Bill C-384 that would essentially eliminate the protections in Section 241 of the Criminal Code."

New Hampshire: Assisted suicide bill a work in progress [The Telegraph, New Hampshire]
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091009/OPINION01/910099957/-1/opinion

This editorial from The Telegraph suggests: "the legislation faces an uphill battle even among members of the committee" and "While we are sympathetic to the cause, we believe it will be difficult to near impossible to craft an assisted suicide bill with enough safeguards to prevent abuse."

Elderly cannot rest in peace without humane new euthanasia laws [The Sydney Morning Herald]
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/elderly-cannot-rest-in-peace-without-humane-new-euthanasia-laws-20091009-gqoj.html

Author Susan Varga, in an address to the Sydney Institute, concludes: "An old person like my mother should not be forced into a violent and lonely death. We are engaging in an unthinking cruelty in giving them so few options. In stigmatising suicide, keeping it shameful, we betray a lack of compassion and understanding. In not pushing our politicians to create humane euthanasia laws we show a lack of moral purpose. As things stand, we are failing our old people. It's time for change."

DA dismisses mercy killing case after husband dies [San Jose Mercury News]
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_13506233

"The Orange County district attorney's office said Wednesday that James Fish of Laguna Woods died Tuesday in a local hospital, where he had been since the shooting. Prosecutors have dismissed the case against him."

New Democratic Party MPs Martin and Comartin oppose Bill C-384 [Soonews.ca, Ontario]
http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=22643

"I oppose introducing assisted suicide into Canada," [NDP MP Tony] Martin said, as he commented on Francine Lalonde's right to die with dignity legislation. "I believe our ARCH hospice in our community is an outstanding example of compassionate palliative care in action. They help patients and their families. We need more hospices and our government must fund palliative care in a serious manner." Also speaking against the bill, New Democrat Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh) cited evidence that only 20 per cent of the population has access to meaningful palliative care, with only another 15 to 17 per cent having partial assistance as they live out the end of their lives.

New Democratic Party MP Angus will say "no" to Bill C-384 [Northern News, Canada]
http://www.northernnews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2046259

Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus says: "We need to raise the bar on this discussion. Euthanasia is not an answer. But then neither is political talk. Every family in this country should be asking where the federal and provincial governments stand in expanding palliative care services."

Washington: How "Death with Dignity Act" is Working [KPLU, Seattle]
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1552069/KPLU.Local.News/How.Death.with.Dignity.Act.is.Working&ei=nmrLSqTgE4vqlQTczqHfAg&sa=X&oi=unauthorizedredirect&ct=targetlink&ust=1254846886324135&usg=AFQjCNFzag5um_vK2oLzWBwqqYN3E_dYAQ

Short piece describing audio interview: "SEATTLE, WA (KPLU) - The so-called "Death with Dignity Act" has been the law in Washington state for 6 months. Proponents say it is accomplishing what they wanted it to by letting terminally ill patients die more peacefully."

UK Living wills law could be revisited after Kerrie Wooltorton suicide case — Andy Burnham [Telegraph]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6259181/Living-wills-law-could-be-revisited-after-Kerrie-Wooltorton-suicide-case---Andy-Burnham.html

"The law on "living wills" could be reviewed after a young woman used one to commit suicide, Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, has said." A spokesman for the Bishops' Conference of the Roman Catholic Church said: "… where an advance decision is clearly manifestly suicidal - as in the tragic case of Kerrie Wooltorton — that it cannot be valid and applicable and that if such an advance decision is invoked, medical treatment should always be given where it is in the best interests of the patient."

Where medical, spiritual worlds meet at life's end [Baltimore Sun]
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.chaplains04oct04,0,5638731.story

Wendy Cadge, an associate professor of sociology at Brandeis University, writes about the difficulty of end-of-life decisions, and suggests: "Hospital chaplains could help change this picture. At the two-thirds of American hospitals where chaplains work, they help people in critical times - when chronic illness becomes unmanageable, when traumatic accidents occur, when unexpected outcomes arise from surgery or other treatment - and families and patients are left trying to discern what to do."

Grandfather speaks out over mercy killing of Jacob Wragg [The Argus]
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4664370.Grandfather_speaks_out_over_mercy_killing_of_Jacob_Wragg/

"The grandfather of terminally ill Jacob Wragg, who was smothered by his dad in a mercy killing, has admitted: I still weep for this lovely little boy. Bob Wragg spent two years writing Jacob's Ladder, a book about the life and death of Hunter syndrome sufferer Jacob."

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