In the News
- A new radio ad from the Committee Against Physician Assisted Suicide
has been released. - Meanwhile the "No on 2" campaign has produced a video featuring Barbara Wagner, an Oregonian who received an offer of assisted suicide in the same letter that denied her chemotherapy to battle cancer.
- The Salem news printed an op-ed drawing attention to the flaws in the legislation.
- A letter from Steering Committee member Karen Schneiderman appeared recently in the Boston Herald.
- Another letter from Sue Rorke of the MetroWest Center for Independent living appeared on Milford's "Wicked Local" website.
- An article in the Boston Globe about the ballot question on October 14 was less biased than usual.
- The Bay State Banner has come out against Question 2. You can read a comment from John Kelly following the editorial.
- Legatus Magazine published an article quoting Second Thoughts steering committee Member Amy Hasbrouck, who was also quoted in an article posted on Wicked Local Marblehead.
Kelly v. Angell
John Kelly debates Marcia Angell on WBUR's Morning Edition on September 24th.
Both sides now
A good (balanced) article about question 2 appeared on September 21 on the website of the Sharon Patch.
Take it away, Hockenberry
John Hockenberry, host of the public radio program The Takeaway, discussed assisted suicide on the Thursday, September 20 edition of the show. During the segment, Hockenberry, who is a part-time resident of Massachusetts, declared his opposition to Question 2.
Summing it all up
Check out this youtube video of John Kelly talking about some of the problems with Question 2.
Second Thoughts in The Stream
On September 4, Second Thoughts steering committee member Amy Hasbrouck participated in an online program from Al Jazeera English service called The Stream.
John Kelly interviewed in The Pilot
"Disabilities Group Has Second Thoughts On Assisted Suicide" appeared on August 31, 2012, and is an excellent summary of the disability rights arguments against assisted suicide.
Second Thoughts on CNN
Director John Kelly was interviewed about the case of Tony Nicklinson, an English man with mobility and communication problems, who asked a court for assisted suicide. On August 16 his request was denied. On July 6 , John debated Rosalie Guttman of the Final Exit Network about the Nicklinson case.
Then on August 16 , John responded to Ted Goodwin, founder of the Final Exit Network.
Second Thoughts interviews
Second Thoughts director John Kelly has done many media appearances to talk about the disability rights opposition to assisted suicide. He was on the
Boston Disability Commission's cable program,
Second Thoughts' Work Against Assisted Suicide Featured in Wall Street Journal!
Right-to-Die Advocate Ends His Life By Stephen Miller, WSJ March 13, 2012
...Read the entire article at the Wall Street Journal websitePeter Goodwin, a family physician who wrote and campaigned for Oregon's right-to-die law in the 1990s, died Sunday after taking a cocktail of lethal drugs prescribed by his doctor, as allowed under the legislation he championed. ...
John Kelly, director of Second Thoughts, a Massachusetts-based organization of disability activists who oppose the assisted-suicide ballot petition, said assisted suicide brings up big problems. Dr. Goodwin "created a monster," Mr. Kelly said. "Assisted suicide is a deadly mix with the profit-driven health-care system. There are so many problems with assisted suicide. These bills sound good in some kind of a perfect-knowledge fantasy universe, but when we get down to real life they become a disaster."
Mr. Kelly said Oregon's assisted-suicide law provides "no safeguards against misdiagnosis, against elder abuse, against physician misconduct. This is a law that singles out one group of people who are old and disabled."
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State Judicial Committee Hearing on H. 3884 (March 6, 2012)
- Visit the Testimony Page for more information on the March 6, 2012 Judicial Committee Hearing at the Statehouse.
- John Kelly, Eileen Feldman, and Karen Schneiderman testify in first of three Second Thoughts panels:
- Video from Channel 22 in Springfield has interviews with Eileen Feldman and Karen Schneiderman immediately after the March 6 State House hearing.
NPR Interview with John Kelly - January 20, 2012
- John Kelly of Second Thoughts appeared on New England Public Radio on January 20, 2012. Listen to the interview with Fred Bever:
Boston Neighborhood Network News Interview with John Kelly
- Second Thoughts Director, John Kelly, appearing on Neighborhood Network News, a production BNN (Boston Neighborhood Network), on December 13, 2011:
State House News Conference - December 8, 2011
- Opponents of the initiative, John Kelly and Steve Higgins, spoke at a State House news conference on Thursday, December 8. Watch the video from Channel 22 in Springfield.
MA Medical Society Opposes Physician Assisted Suicide
- December 3, 2011 - The 23,000 doctors who belong to the Massachusetts Medical Society have reaffirmed their opposition to physician assisted suicide. Read the MA Medical Society's announcement .
