Health Care Reform And Government Assisted Suicide
First, before we get to far, let me be clear: I don’t think Obamacare wants to kill old people. I don’t think they want to incentivize suicide. Some people believe this, I absolutel do not.
That said, this story out of Oregon is ridiculous, and at the same time, kind of scary. And it is politically damaging to the health care reform effort.
A patient in Oregon a state which publically limits what kind of care will be paid for, received a letter in the mail denying her chemotherapy. That, by itself, is not that surprising. What was surprising was what else was in the letter.
This patient in Oregon got a letter that made this all too clear, when in the same letter rejecting her request for life-extending chemotherapy, Oregon offered her “physician-aid-in-dying”. In other words, Oregon offered their customer a heapin’ helping of death:
Not good. Again, I don’t believe this is going to be policy, but what utter moron sent this letter out? I guess it was a matter of time when you have legal suicide and health care mandates. And this will surely get a lot of elderly who were alreaady edgy about health care reform to get that much more ornery.
This past weekend showed numerous revolts and Tea Party meetings, including in my hometown of Columbus. And they appear to be madder than hell. Sec. Kathleen Sibelius and Sen. Arlen Specter got booed when he asked for quick passage for health care reform. He especially got booed when asked why they should be rushed to pass health care reform, without reading the bill. It is pretty ugly. And remember: this isn’t Witchita, it is Philadelphia:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bpshk5nX0
This is exactly what I and other conservative pundits predicted. Anger is palpable through out the country. I will give anecdotal evidence: I have close friends that were Obama devotees last fall, ask me now, “What is he doing?” Well, he is doing exactly what we expected. And the public is reacting…angrily.
And to my beloved members of Congress…only 1 more month of this vacation to go! Relaxed yet?
[...] Connect that anger up with stories like this one — which shocked even me — and you’re going to have … well, a spirited discussion. We knew it would come to this when Oregon insisted on passing its assisted-suicide laws. It doesn’t take much for assisted suicide to go from a humane option to a cost-saving device, especially when the state pays for the medical care. One patient in Oregon got a letter that made this all too clear, when in the same letter rejecting her request for life-extending chemotherapy, Oregon offered her “physician-aid-in-dying”. In other words, Oregon offered their customer a heapin’ helping of death … [...]
Anger is when politicians pass bills without reading their own lengthy bills. We have a stimulus that isn’t working. Hidden in the stimulus bills are grants, disbursements or endowments that are ridiculous. We have a rush to healthcare reform which is one of the most serious bills that there could be and our congress has not even read that bill nor explained clearly what it contains. I am angry, dissapointed and have completely lost faith in hope and change. I voted for Obama. I got more of the same. The only thing different thing is that Obama lives for the press.
This is why we must demand better from our representatives. If they can’t bother reading what is in their bills…why should be bother trusting them?
This is an all too predictable consequence of moral relativism. Initial intentions are irrelevant. We all get to live with the eventual fallout from these disasters imposed on us by our Government. When one mixes state care and state approved doctor assisted suicide this situation becomes inevitable.
Don’t bet that it can’t get worse from here.
One question: Since they offered doctor assisted suicide (for all intents guaranteeing this poor woman’s end of life) rather than chemotherapy; are they also going to cover her funeral expenses or does the family get to have that burden of insult to injury too?!? Maybe a politician could show up to the funeral and make everyone feel better by announcing the bill they might read to fix such a problem.
This should be their health care option in the Congress and Senate too… doubt this would have happened to Ted Kennedy…