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End-of-life guidebook wreaks havoc in US
[Iran Press TV Latest] The revival of a guide for veterans' end-of-life care, suspended under the Bush administration, has caused controversy as some believe it encourages veterans to end their lives. The pamphlet titled 'Your Life, Your Choices', was first published in 1997 and was in use until the Bush White House evaluated the document's effect on treating complex health and moral issues and suspended it. The document, however, was revived under the Obama administration's Department of Veterans Affairs. Senator Arlen Specter, a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee said on Sunday that the guide raises 'a lot of questions' and that he would call for hearings immediately, Fox News reported. 'Your Life, Your Choices' provides instances where the person is on life support, and his family is struggling with the question whether they should 'pull the plug'. The guide, dubbed the 'Death Book' by opponents, asks the reader to write down whether they find their lives 'worth living' under certain circumstances. The circumstances listed include ones common among the elderly and disabled: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to 'shake the blues'. There is a section which provocatively asks, "Have you ever heard anyone say, 'If I'm a vegetable, pull the plug'?" There also are guilt-inducing scenarios such as "I can no longer contribute to my family's well being," "I am a severe financial burden on my family" and that the vet's situation "causes severe emotional burden for my family." "I think consideration ought to be given right now to suspending it pending hearings," said Specter -- a former Democrat-turned-Republican who caused controversy by switching back to the Democratic Party in April. Posted by: Fred 2009-08-24 |
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