You can purchase an autographed copy of Anything But Straight by sending a $35 check or money order to:
-------------------------
Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
The Supreme Court removed an obstacle on Tuesday to state efforts to authorize physician-assisted suicide, ruling 6 to 3 that John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, acted without legal authority when he threw the federal government's weight against the Death With Dignity Act in Oregon five years ago.
Chief Justice John Roberts, however, sided with Thomas and Scalia in the minority opinion that the federal government can override states rights and knows more than a doctor and his patient. If Alito were on the court, the margin of victory would have only been 5-4.
The problem is, people lile Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito are not true limited government conservatives, in the traditional sense. They are "unlimited government" conservative. These folks are snoops who believe the federal government is almost a dictatorship that can control every aspect of life from cradle to grave.
After all, if a person doesn't have the right to die with dignity, is this still a free country? If dying with dignity is against your authoritarian religion, than die in pain in the name of God. But for normal, thinking Americans, leave us the hell alone and let us decide with our private doctors.
This case proves that Alito must be filibustered. America's High Court can't continue to veer any more to the right.
5 Comments:
And these are the same assholes who stymie universal health insurance and social programs that help people in these predicaments. You can die slowly, painfully and BROKE! But, they're just promoting good, christian, family values. Gary (NJ)
posted by Anonymous, at
1/18/2006 2:21 PM
I watched Bill Kristol lie about the Oregon suicide law on FOX NEWS last night -- Kristol claimed that there were no safeguards to prevent depressed people from committing suicide -- this is false because there are safeguards in the law.
Secondly, I noticed that the FOX spin was that "because of the pending health care crisis, this law will cause people to feel pressured into comitting suicide."
So, the Republicans are causing a health care crisis (by blocking universal health care) and then they turn around and use this as a reason to forbid death with dignity! What chuzpah!
posted by Anonymous, at
1/18/2006 3:57 PM
Well said, Wayne. Conservatives will throw their supposed limited government and states-rights principles into the winds of a hurricane when they have an opportunity to put their supposed values on the rest of us. What a despicable sham.
Ironically, in the 1990s, the Supreme Court ruled that no one has a constitutional right to die. If we are to apply the conservative beliefs of Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, and the usual suspects to that ruling, shouldn't they be demanding the arrest, trial, and execution of God? Just a thought...
posted by Matthew, at
1/18/2006 8:01 PM
-- Unfortunately the Democrats have neither the will nor the support necessary to sustain a filibuster to block the Alito nomination at this time.
We must face the fact that Alito will be the next life-time member of SCOTUS and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it now.
The neocons have been working for this moment for the last 30 years. For they understand the true power of the Judiary to mold and shape our society ... 'cept in their case, rather than expand human rights they seek to use the court to impose their own perceived moral authority.
Don't be fooled by the NewSpeak rhetoric about *activist judges* ... because that is EXACTLY what the neocons want on the bench. Judges who will dictate the law from the neocon perspective.
The only thing saving SCOTUS from full tilt will be that Geo W Bush does not get a third chance to influence the court any further.
Gary, I have to agree with all you say. We are the last country in the western hemisphere that does not provide universal health care and this regime in office will use every excuse in the book not to provide it because of money grabbing insurance companies who fund mostly right wing politics so they can continue gouging the ill-informed American electorate. In Europe and elsewhere, health care is a basic human right. The right wingers can use as many scare tactics as they like when it comes to the shortcomings, if any, of universal health care delivery. The fact remains that western European countries, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have far lower mortality rates than we do, including infant mortality. So this proves their systems are doing something right. 46 million Americans without access to health care is a national disgrace and should be a number one priority of any decent government. I just don't understand why the electorate isn't demanding it. This employer based provision of health insurance is ludicrous and far too costly. I'd rather pay more taxes if it means that everyone is entitled to health care without fear of losing their home to pay for some catastrophic illness that most insurance companies refuse to cover. Its obscene when you think that insurance companies dictate our health care, not our doctors. So much for christian values. I'm so disgusted.
