Thursday, December 15, 2011

100 books to read (from Time, 2005)

Getting ready to delete a livejournal account that has been stagnant since 2005...
so... how many of these have I actually read?  hmm.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Dignity 2012

Whatever your position and how you feel about being in control of the end of your life, please do find out what the specifics are, on the Massachusetts Death With Dignity Act. http://www.dignity2012.org/ is the web site that has the entire initiative petition to be included on the 2012 ballot.

The first section of the petition summarizes it pretty well.
It is hereby declared that the public welfare requires a defined and safeguarded process by which an adult Massachusetts resident who has the capacity to make health care decisions and who has been determined by his or her attending and consulting physicians to be suffering from a terminal disease that will cause death within six months may obtain medication that the patient may self administer to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. It is further declared that the public welfare requires that such a process be entirely voluntary on the part of all participants, including the patient, his or her physicians, and any other health care provider or facility providing services or care to the patient. This act, being necessary for the welfare of the Commonwealth and its residents, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes thereof.
Repeated verbal and written requests are required, with many opportunities to change their mind during the required waiting periods. 

See section 16 on contracts, wills, insurance policies, and annuities.
Contracts, wills, insurance policies, annuities.

(1) No provision in a contract, will, insurance policy, annuity, or other agreement, whether written or oral, made on or after January 1, 2013, shall be valid to the extent the provision would condition or restrict a person’s decision to make or rescind a request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner. 
(2) No obligation owing under any contract, will, insurance policy, annuity, or other agreement made before the effective date of this chapter shall be affected by the provisions of this chapter, a person’s making or rescinding a request for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner, or by taking any other action authorized by this chapter. 
(3) On and after January 1, 2013, the sale, procurement, or issuance of any life, health, or accident insurance policy or annuity or the premium or rate charged for any such policy or annuity shall not be conditioned upon or otherwise take into account the making or rescinding of a request for medication under this chapter by any person.
Whether you agree or disagree, please do yourself the favor of reading the facts of the petition for your own information so you can make your own decision before you go into the voting booth this coming Election Day.