IMPOSED DEATH
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WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED? History teaches us that a society which fails to respect and protect everyone’s life is not a safe place for anyone. The intentional ending of human lives by euthanasia and assisted suicide is becoming increasingly common.
Euthanasia literally translated from Greek means “good death.” In this publication, the more accurate term “imposed death” is frequently substituted for “euthanasia” and its partner “assisted suicide” (see Definitions, p. 3).
You may ask: Why do I need to read this publication? Because the whole human race has a stake in the answer to the question, “Should imposed death be permitted by law?” In this publication we will examine imposed death from various angles, highlighting the experiences and opinions of those most intimately affected by it. In order to make informed decisions, you need the unvarnished truth about this vitally important topic. Advocates of euthanasia and assisted suicide use seductive slogans like the “right to die,” “choice in dying,” and “aid in dying.” Giving governments the power to authorize the individual’s “right” to choose when and how to die begins the progression from voluntary imposed death to involuntary imposed death. At what point does a “right” become an expectation, even a duty? We encourage you to ponder this question as you read Imposed Death.
CONTENTS 3 Euthanasia by Nancy Valko, RN with Julie Grimstad/ Do We Really Want Doctors Who Are Comfortable With Killing? 4 Futile Care The patient is considered useless, not the treatment. 5 Are You Sure You’d NEVER Want to be “Hooked Up to a Machine?” by Marlene Reid/ It might just save your life. 6 Thirsty? Too Bad. Withholding food and water is the new “mercy killing.” 7 “Persistent Vegetative State” How reliable is a PVS diagnosis? 7 What About Pain Control? What you don’t know CAN hurt you. 8 The Progression of Death Rhetoric in the U.S.A. Every "right to die" group sprang from two deadly organizations. 10 Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine: Is It Losing Its Soul? by Ralph A. Capone, MD/ Tread carefully when you select a hospice. 11 Organ Donation Are organ donors really dead? 12 The World’s Great Loss A cautionary tale about the denial of life to disabled children. 13 Living Wills: Vital or Deadly? A Living Will may be a license to kill. There’s a better option. 14 POLST: No Ordinary Advance Directive by Sara Buscher, Esq. with Julie Grimstad/ This brightly colored form is an insidious “planning” tool. 14 Dear Doctor Mark Davis Pickup asks his physician to protect him from himself. 15 Euthanasia Around The World Euthanasia and assisted suicide—the international scene. NOTE: Citations and sources are located on the back cover.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Human Life Alliance assembled a talented team of writers, researchers and experts who contributed to developing this publication. We are grateful to these men and women for their dedication to this project, as well as for their perseverance in defending the unalienable right to life of all human beings. Foremost, we want to thank our multitude of friends whose faithful support enables Human Life Alliance to continue its life-saving educational projects. HLA Board President
Contributing Writer and Editor
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This publication and citations can be found at
imposeddeath.org
