Assisted Suicide

A UK woman asked the court to clarify the law on assisted suicide, but was denied. She has multiple sclerosis and says that if her condition get worse, she wants to travel to Switzerland to end her life, but does not want her husband to face prosecution.



Having MS myself, I sympathize with this woman's condition. I have no physical debilities, yet, but the knowledge that someday I will is always lurking in the back of my mind. However, I do not think that just because life gets hard, we should end it. If the only thing keeping you alive is a machine, then I don't think it is a problem to pull the plug. That is not morally objectionable. But deliberately taking steps to end your life because you are in pain or are physically incapacitated is not something I condone.

That said, I think laws against suicide are stupid. Laws against assisted suicide are another matter, though. That should definitely not be legal. I believe that life is precious, all life. If my mother or my daughters or anyone I dearly love suffered from chronic pain or any sort of serious incurable illness, I would do everything in my power to comfort them and be there for them during their time of need. I would not help them commit suicide, however. As much as I would want their pain to end, it is not my choice to make for when that end comes. That decision is above my pay grade.

Happy Birthday

Happy 30th birthday to my good friend, Jeromy. It's hard to believe that we've been friends for twenty years now. Twenty years. Where does the time go? Happy birthday, Jeromy. I look forward to twenty more years of friendship.


Jeromy holding his son, Matthew, on a camping trip near Red Lodge this past summer.

The Truth Comes Out

Ta-Nehisi Coates over at The Atlantic has discovered the truth about Obama.

Think on it. Here is a black man who is evidently securing the votes of white people who don't like black people, who attracts massive crowds, and makes people faint at his rallies. Clearly he's using some Cerebro-like device to magnify his telepathic abilities. Commenters have noted that they just don't feel like they know Obama, and that's because they don't. Obama isn't just poised to lead Democrats to a victory--he's poised to do something that would bend the fabric of space-time, shaking the very foundations of the pundit-verse. There is only one explanation for all of this--Mutant Powers.

What does that make McCain? William Stryker?

Weekly Secret

PostSecret

This secret brings to mind an article I read awhile back about abortion. A doctor who performed abortions was writing about the people he had met who he would see picketing outside the clinic one day and then another day would be in themselves or bringing a daughter. The dissonance was striking.

For me, though, I think we just need to keep some compassion in mind when dealing with other people. Screaming at someone and calling them a baby killer is going to be less productive than sitting down and trying to empathize with them. Most of the people going in to get an abortion are not serial abortionists using the procedure as a form of birth control. They are someone who made a mistake and are scared, unsure what to do. If someone was to take the time to talk to them and hear their story, they would probably be better able to talk the person out of their abortion.

Fighting for Custody

Well, after many months of preparation, the brief and affidavit to gain custody of my daughters was filed on Friday. I am very excited that the time is finally here, but nervous, as well. The next couple of months will be very trying emotionally, especially for my daughters, but I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think it was the right thing to do for them. They are in a bad situation at home and I can't sit by any longer. For their sakes, I have to act.

None of this would have been possible without the help of some very generous people. A co-worker and good friend of mine, Brenda Nagel, and the St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation very generously provided me the money necessary to hire a lawyer. Without their incredible generosity it is likely that I would not have been able to do this. I will be eternally grateful to them forever. Whether or not I win my case, they gave me the opportunity. People like them remind me that there is still some good in this world. Thank you.

Weekly Music Video

If you like prog metal it doesn't get much better than Dream Theater. These guys are just amazing technically. Check out this 27 minute video of one of my favorite songs of theirs.

Dream Theater - "Octavarium"