Bill #1: HB 905, Removing All Rights

HB 905, filed by Republican representative Cynthia Davis, would "take away a legal guardian's right to remove a patient's feeding tube. The proposal would also let patients signal to doctors that they do not want their feeding tubes removed."

Now there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the whole signaling bit, although it can be a little vague about the intentions of actions from patients who can't really communicate with you. My problem is with the categorical rejection of a legal guardian's right to remove a patient's feeding tube. What if you know your great-grandmother told you that she would never want a feeding tube, but you couldn't honor her wishes because of this proposed law?

Yeah, Edmond, you might say, but Michael said his wife told him that and I don't believe him. Well, I propose changing the law so that the authority of a legal guardian can be transferred if another family member brings a case against the validity of the guardian's intentions. That would have stopped Michael, but not the simple uncorrupted people who want to put disabled family members out of their misery. There's nothing wrong with a legal guardian's decision to remove a patient's feeding tube if they say the patient told him their wishes or they believe that's what their wishes are, and if no family members dispute that, and if there are no selfish or corrupt reasons for the guardian's decision to remove the feeding tube. The rights of innocent civilians shouldn't be unnecessarily curtailed to stop the corrupt civilians when there are other ways to do that.

I do not support HB 905 and will try to contact my representatives and tell them so (that's a new thing for me, but something all citizens should do).

Edmond the Hun

Bill #2: SB 547, Unconditionally Favoring Life

b, filed by Republican senator John Loudon, would "change the laws regarding a legal dispute over custody of a person in a persistent vegetative state. Loudon's proposal would give custody to whichever party wants to continue care."

This says that whenever there's a dispute, completely ignore the patient's wishes or perceived wishes, ignore the character of those involved in the dispute, and just keep the patient alive, because, uh, because, we said so. Consider a polar opposite case: Joan Doe wants to keep her brain-dead feeding-tubed husband, Joe, alive, while the husband's parents want to let him die, because Joe has told many people that he would not want to be kept alive like that---so many that no one disputes it. Joe's a millionaire. Joe and Joan didn't get along in recent years, and Joe left Joan practically nothing in his will. Joan wants to keep him alive against his well-known wishes because when he dies, she loses his money. But because Joe doesn't have a living will and because there's a dispute, due to this law Joe's custody would be given to Joan. It's an extreme and fabricated example, but it reveals the fundamental problems with this proposed law.

It's not wise to base legal authority and custody by the position of the people involved---to unconditionally say the life side is the right side. Again, I propose legal authority based on character and intention. If the Does went to court with my proposed law, Joan would lose custody because the husband's parents could bring a convincing case that Joan had selfish and corrupt reasons for her position.

I do not support SB 547 and will also try to contact my representatives and tell them so.

Edmond the Hun

Bill #3: HB 894

HB 894, filed by Republican representative David Sater, would "allow people to make such health decisions when they renew their drivers licenses. The bill... would allow a person to decide whether they would want a feeding tube and also select a guardian to make health decisions. A person's preference would be indicated on his drivers license."

Now I don't see anything wrong with this proposed law. I've never heard of putting these crucial decisions on a drivers license, but I can't say that it's a bad idea. And while people are "allowed" to do that, I don't see in the wording that they are required to do that. It's like the fast-food version of a living will. If you want to talk about yourself in a vegetative state along with your drivers license, then go right ahead. If you don't want to be forced to come to a decision right then, there's no pressure, either.

(I'm thinking of all the teenagers. "Congratulations, Matt, you passed. Now, if you're in a vegetative state do you want a feeding tube or not?" "What? Huh? Vegetables? Uh, I don't like vegetables...")

I don't like the idea of people being forced to make a decision about something as important as this, and it could encourage trivial or non-thought-out responses ("Come on, Matt." "Uh... okay... um... sure, why not?") But as long as they don't have to make a decision, I don't have a problem with making it easier for people to concretely spell out their wishes.

While I do not pretend to have a complete understanding of HB 894, I currently support it and will tell my representatives so.

Edmond the Hun

April Fools!

Just kidding - the three following posts are all april fool's jokes! Although I wouldn't be surprised if the ACLU did something like that. And I don't know how Terri stayed alive that long. And there are fears that the price of oil barrels will go from $55 to $100, which could easily translate over here into over $3 a gallon. But that might not even happen, and if it does, probably not $4. But then what do I know about gas pricing logistics?

Anyway, the gas price one has the most chance of actually happening, and the Terri one is so ludicrous that I hope you didn't believe it. Have a happee April!

Edmond the Hun

The ACLU and April Fool's Day

The ACLU has long been a champion of extreme and dumb liberal rights. Now Ron Greenwood, their spokesman, has spoken out against the informal celebrating of April 1 being April Fool's Day. They say that it discriminates against people who are gullible, and they want to make it a crime to recgonize April Fool's Day. Senator John Edwards is sponsoring a bill to make this a law.

What the Zeus? I think that's going a little overboard. I don't like being paranoid all day, but it's only one day of the year. Come on, people!

Edmond the Hun

Gas Prices Still Soaring

The Arabs in the Middle East are sick of rising protests over rising oil prices, so they decided to limit production. Oil barrel prices are expected to double within the week, and oil prices may soon top $4.00 a gallon. This is ridiculous! Why can't we just drill our own oil in Alaska? The hydrogen car stuff is going too slow. If gas prices rise any farther, I wouldn't be surprised if people march on Washington or something drastic like that.

Edmond the Hun

Terri's Still Alive!

Yes, that's right. Terri Schaivo is still alive. The doctors have been secretly reinserting her feeding tube during the night. They paid the media networks to release news of her death so they could take her away from Michael. It's a deceptive and risky plan, but it might work. I thought this sounded a little far-fetched, especially considering today's date, but think about it---she's been without water for two weeks! How can anyone possibly survive that long? What else could explain it? I just wish this whole thing would be over...

Edmond the Hun