News

Visit this page regularly for articles and stories written by Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare Alliance Partners, as well as links to pertinent news articles from reputable sources.

What is Assisted Suicide?

What is Assisted Suicide?

Posted On: Friday, February 9th, 2018

Assisted suicide, euthanasia, and refusal of life-sustaining treatment may be related, but they are not the same thing. Defining these terms is a crucial first step towards ethical care in Minnesota. Assisted Suicide is : Suicide committed by someone with assistance from another person. That definition from Merriam-Webster covers the basics. However, in terms specific to

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Legalizing assisted suicide is no answer for the disabled like me.

Legalizing assisted suicide is no answer for the disabled like me.

Posted On: Tuesday, November 21st, 2017

We need care and support to live with hope, not to “die with dignity.” I’m thankful for those who helped me see the worth of life. By Jean Swenson, Member of Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare Originally published in the Star Tribune – December 21, 2016 ‘I’d rather be dead than disabled.” I remember feeling

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Hindsight Exposes Danger of Assisted Suicide

Hindsight Exposes Danger of Assisted Suicide

Posted On: Monday, August 21st, 2017

The New York Times has been on an assisted suicide and euthanasia kick lately. The most recent piece on the matter, “Should I Help My Patients Die?,” is a column by pro-PAS physician Jessica Nutik Zitter, which discusses the practice of assisted suicide as well as the necessity for it to be done safely. As

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New Zealand’s Reasons for Rejecting Assisted Suicide

New Zealand’s Reasons for Rejecting Assisted Suicide

Posted On: Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

After considering the legalization of physician-assisted suicide for two years, New Zealand Parliament’s largest-ever inquiry refrained from making it legal. The inquiry followed a petition signed by nearly 9000, requesting a thorough investigation into public attitudes on physician-assisted suicide, as well as its final legalization. A report by the Health Committee covering a summary of

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Oh Canada: Assisted Suicide Being Pushed Upon the Disabled

Oh Canada: Assisted Suicide Being Pushed Upon the Disabled

Posted On: Monday, July 31st, 2017

Assisted suicide became legal in Canada one year ago, and last week yet another disturbing story about the law’s chilling consequences turned up. Sheila Elson claims a Labrador-Grenfell Health doctor suggested physician-assisted suicide for her disabled daughter: “’His words were ‘assisted suicide death was legal in Canada,’ she told CBC. ‘I was shocked, and said,

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Assisted suicide anything but inevitable

Assisted suicide anything but inevitable

Posted On: Thursday, July 6th, 2017

Assisted suicide proponents in Minnesota often claim that it’s only a matter of time before assisted suicide is legal. Reality, however, shows a different picture: people from diverse backgrounds across America are saying no to assisted suicide and preventing its spread. So far in 2017, 23  states have rejected assisted suicide bills. These include states

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When death saves money, there’s a duty to die

When death saves money, there’s a duty to die

Posted On: Wednesday, June 28th, 2017

Physician-assisted suicide is often depicted as a completely autonomous decision. Pro-PAS groups push for the idea that assisted suicide will “[give] us freedom and empowerment to set our own timeframe” with no pressure from outside sources. Ironically, the legalization of assisted suicide introduces significant outside pressure into a patient’s decision – the pressure to end

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PAS groups: Provide assisted suicide, or you’re a bad doctor

PAS groups: Provide assisted suicide, or you’re a bad doctor

Posted On: Thursday, June 22nd, 2017

Don’t want physician-assisted suicide? Then don’t get one, is one of the arguments we often hear from proponents of assisted dying. Same goes for physicians: Don’t want to be involved in the process? You don’t have to – or so they say. In states where physician-assisted suicide has been legalized, doctors are technically not obliged

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Celebrating suicide and ignoring consequences in California

Celebrating suicide and ignoring consequences in California

Posted On: Thursday, June 15th, 2017

“Don’t let the facts get in the way of a party” seems to be the mantra for Compassion & Choices. The group marked the one year anniversary of legalized assisted suicide in California with a “celebratory” report, highlighting a number of small “victories” in their push for widespread suicide-on-demand in the Golden State. Nearly 500

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Emotional Distress, Not Physical Pain, Driving Factor in Assisted Suicide

Emotional Distress, Not Physical Pain, Driving Factor in Assisted Suicide

Posted On: Monday, June 12th, 2017

If anything, proponents of assisted suicide are consistent. They typically make their case for legalizing this risky, dangerous practice by trotting out a familiar scene: a dying individual needlessly suffering from immense physical pain as family members helplessly stand by. Legalization of assisted suicide could spare thousands of others from a similar “undignified” fate. Or so we

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