What an exciting time in the Death with Dignity movement! August brought news of a potential Massachusetts Death with Dignity initiative on the November, 2012 ballot. In addition, the local Vermont effort shared their successes and how they're preparing for the next legislative session.

Through our blog, we reported on these new developments and featured some thought-provoking posts by guest authors. A Catholic talked about supporting Death with Dignity (which caused a bit of a kerfuffle in the comments section and on Twitter), and acclaimed authors Meghan O'Rourke and Dr. Leeat Granek shared their survey results about preferred ways to help grieving friends.

Our blog also highlighted our monthly TweetChat on Twitter. On August 18, we discussed religion and Death with Dignity. Read the transcript of August's chat, and I hope to see you at our next TweetChat on Sept 15 when we'll talk about current Death with Dignity efforts. Check out these stories and more below and in our Living with Dying archive.

Sincerely,
Melissa Barber
Electronic Communications Specialist
Death with Dignity National Center

Death with Dignity Ballot Initiative Proposed in Massachusetts
by Peg Sandeen, MSW, Executive Director
It was in January or February of this year when I first heard of local activity in Massachusetts—a team was being put together to explore potential for a Death with Dignity initiative on the November, 2012, ballot. I was excited because this meant Massachusetts would join Vermont as two New England states initiating home-grown Death with Dignity efforts to bring safe, state-monitored physician-hastened dying to terminally ill adult residents.

The proposed Massachusetts Death with Dignity Act is based on model legislation from Oregon and Washington. During an 18-month campaign the people of Massachusetts will hear one fact repeatedly, and I’d like to be the first to assert it here. Death with Dignity, as codified in Oregon and Washington and proposed for Massachusetts, is a safeguarded, state-monitored practice. There has been no abuse and no coercion in the 13 years of implementation in Oregon and the 2 years in Washington. None.

READ MORE >

Vermont Death with Dignity Effort
guest post by Amy Shollenberger,
Grassroots Organizer for Patient Choices Vermont
Patient Choices Vermont has been working hard toward the first ever legislatively passed Death with Dignity Act. This past winter, the bill was introduced into both sides of the Vermont Statehouse (H.274 in the House and S.103 in the Senate) with a large number of sponsors, including prominent members of all three major political parties — Democrat, Republican, and Progressive — and it's well positioned for passage during the 2012 legislative session.

READ MORE >

Catholicism and Death with Dignity
guest post by Jay D Halsted
No one gets out of this world alive. That's a fact. And fear of dying is death's side effect. Death with Dignity takes away the fear. It doesn't mean we're going to rush to the grave. It means we can face the future knowing we never have to be imprisoned by our bodies.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops would have us remain the slaves of pain. On June 16, 2011, the bishops approved a statement condemning physician-assisted death. Their reasons:

READ MORE >

How To Help Friends in Mourning
guest post by Meghan O'Rourke and Dr. Leeat Granek
What is grief really like? Earlier this spring, we posted a survey on Slate asking this question. Struck by how poorly our culture seems to understand the complexities of grief (each of us had lost our mothers to cancer and had written about the experience), we wanted to hear from readers about the lived reality of loss.

As we noted in our first article about the survey's results, we had an astonishing number of responses—nearly 8,000 in total. In our last piece, we offered an overview of the data our respondents provided about symptoms and duration of grief. In this installment, we look at what our respondents said about interacting with others as they mourned: what helped them and what made their grief more difficult. Taken together, these responses may offer some guidance for people who want to console and help friends in mourning.

READ MORE >

In This Issue:

• Ballot Initiative Proposed in Massachusetts
• Vermont Death with Dignity
• Catholicism & Death with Dignity
• Help Friends in Mourning

Death with Dignity National Center is a BBB accredited charity.

We Need Your Help
The Death with Dignity National Center, and its political affiliate — the Death with Dignity Political Action Fund — are working at full capacity to support both Massachusetts and Vermont financially and with our political and legal expertise. We're very excited at the prospect of having two new Death with Dignity laws enacted in 2012!

SUPPORT NEXT YEAR'S LAWS >

DWD & Palliative Care
Nora Miller's letter to the editor was published in a recent issue of Neurology Today in response to an opinion piece.

"Palliative care makes a huge difference in the daily lives of the dying, but it cannot address all issues. I see no reason to view palliative care and death with dignity as an "either-or" situation."

READ NORA'S LETTER >

DWD Facts
Oregon and Washington are currently the only two states with Death with Dignity Acts. In both states, the laws allow terminally ill adult residents who are mentally competent to request a prescription from a physician for a medication to hasten death. The process is voluntary for everyone involved — patient, physician, pharmacist, health care facility.

LEARN THE FACTS >

Tweets Heard Around the World
The third Thursday of every month we host Twitter chats on different aspects of Death with Dignity. By participating in our TweetChats and tweeting publicly about Death with Dignity you help:

• Raise awareness about Death with Dignity.
• Meet others who support Death with Dignity.
• Let your friends and family know Death with Dignity is important to you.

READ AUGUST'S TRANSCRIPT >

Forward to a Friend
Well-crafted Death with Dignity laws work the way they're intended. You and I know that, but do your friends?

The best way for us to ensure Death with Dignity is an option for all Americans is to tell to more people our story. Will you help us connect with your friends?

SHARE US WITH FRIENDS >

We'd love to hear from you!
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info@deathwithdignity.org

Images: Celtic cross by Fiona Thomson and an illustration about grief from Slate.com.
Contact the editor at mbarber@deathwithdignity.org