Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Prolonging An End

In my many years, I have seen countless instances of family members refusing to accept that a loved one is dying a painful miserable death, and they want every possible thing done to keep them from dying. They even go as far to demand that if that dying person's heart were to stop beating at anytime during their hospital visit, the medical and nursing staff would then be required to resuscitate that person. They somehow think that by sticking a tube down into their lungs and pressing on their chests (only to have them die a day, week or month later) is going to buy them more time, while some miracle occurs.

Now let's take a look at the sick and dying bill the Congress has been trying to revive, over and over.

Seen today on Drudge was this little walk down memory lane:

'END' OF THE 'END GAME' OR 'THE END'?

TODAY: Obama pushing on health care end game (AP)

Last year:

July 28: Healthcare endgame on Capitol Hill (Reuters)

August 21: Analysis: Health care endgame near but uncertain (AP)

October 14: Senate, administration begin healthcare endgame as Dem leaders express unity (Hill)

October 25: Senators say health care bill endgame is in sight (Politico)

October 27: End Game: So When Will Health Care Really Happen? (TPM)

October 30: Health reform inches closer to endgame (WaPo)

November 23: The Health Care Endgame (NPR)


Let's think about this for a moment. The Democrats have control of both houses of Congress and the White House. All of last year, they had a filibuster-proof super majority in the Senate. And yet, they could not get a bill passed and sent to the President for a signature.

Doesn't this indicate to anyone besides the majority of the American people that this is not a good bill? Maybe it's time to stop heroic measures on this one and allow it to die an honorable death.



Addendum: Not so far off topic is this video that clearly speaks for itself:



I have had my differences with Sen Byrd over the years on certain issues, but he got this one right.

Dead right.


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The very underpinning of our government is LIMITED government. Now, before Americans vote for any candidate, I believe they must ask of them and ascertain the person they are voting for actually supports our Constitution in its role of limiting how big government becomes, how much government can stuff down our throats. I do not believe the Constitution allows national health care, and I do not think the founding fathers ever intended such programs. How we must limit government, by the way, is through the purse. If government cannot collect unlimited sums of money, and if we limit debt to revenue ratios, then I think it is possible for the American people to get their country back.

I’m not sure I understand people who want to prolong the suffering of family members. There ought to be a state law guaranteeing deathbed dignity. I’m not saying we should make a cottage industry out of the Kevorkian phenomena, but I am saying that a person should have an absolute right to end his life with dignity. He or she should have the right to reject life sustaining drugs and procedures. And family members should not have veto authority over this right.

That’s my two cents.

Mustang Sends

LA Sunset said...

Mustang Sent:

//That’s my two cents.//

I disagree. The part where you said:

//a person should have an absolute right to end his life with dignity. He or she should have the right to reject life sustaining drugs and procedures. And family members should not have veto authority over this right.//

That part was worth a dollar or two----all by itself. And no, I am not totaling up the rest so you can say how much I owe you.

The time when the family usually takes over is when the patient becomes comatose. Someone from the family threatens a lawsuit and the doctors go full tilt barrel.

Chuck said...

Maybe we need to set up a death panel for legislation that is terminal?

Anonymous said...

I like Chuck's idea! Excellent comparison Sunsett. Unfortunately I think the idiots will pass it thanks to the fact no one has ever ignored the will of the people and the Constitution like our current criminal leaders on Capitol Hill do.

I think anyone who reaches adulthood and doesn't make a living will and appoint a power of attorney over medical/life decisions isn't using their head. The evening before my mother died at 5 am, I prayed for God to end it for her. I don't understand people who can watch that kind of suffering and want to extend it. They are a lot like liberal progressives... simply not in touch with reality!

HAM

Mary Ellen said...

But now Byrd is defending it.

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/byrd-defends-use-of-reconciliation/

Just as the many Democrats hated reconciliation when it didn't suit them, they support it now. Same thing with the Republicans. They're all a bunch of slimy hypocrites.

Mark my words, this bill will pass and they won't need reconciliation to do it. The House is beginning to fold like a house of cards and are ready to vote for the Senate version. Those idiots will believe whatever Obama tells them because he's paid them good money in favors for their votes.

Mary Ellen said...

Here's something to give you and your readers a few nightmares...

The following bill was introduced by Zachary Space (D-OH) yesterday, and the text is not yet available. This bill is being slid into committee by a no name congressman who votes 94% of time along party lines. This bill also has NO cosponsors; assumption being ‘maybe they won’t notice’.

I am sure this will probably be worse than just it’s title. Remember Daniel Hannan saying that the National Health Service is the 3rd biggest employer in the world? England has 70 million citizens. We have over 300 million.

H.R. 4799:

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a strategic plan to retrain displaced workers to become health care professionals serving areas with a shortage of such professionals, and for other purposes.

Welcome to Obamacare...need a doctor? No, you get a "displaced worker" instead. Doctors are only for those with the Cadillac insurance. The rest of the poor schmucks with the government plan get the pleasure of seeing Dr.Displaced Worker.

Rocket said...

Maybe I don't understand the debate but why sustain a life which has run full circle. Life is finite. No one lives forever. Live for today No regrets and be prepared for whatever there is after life is the best way to slip into the the next fold. I don't know what that is.

On an economic point of view unfortunately retaining a life often has disasterous economic consequences for the family.

No gov't intervention on the question. Zip! The individual decides. (Unfortunately questions on the inheritance play a role)As we grow older and dependant we become the children of our children rather than their parents. The children then decide our future and maybe even if we live.

Making a living will is the best solution. Just do it, if it exists in your state.

Sorry but my parents died in the sue me state of Florida and I have been seriously nipped in the bud because of the above questions.

LA Sunset said...

//Maybe we need to set up a death panel for legislation that is terminal?//

Not a bad idea, but we need to word it so it's abstract enough to deny if anyone discovers it.

LA Sunset said...

//I think anyone who reaches adulthood and doesn't make a living will and appoint a power of attorney over medical/life decisions isn't using their head.//

Many of these people I speak of already do. But all it takes is one disgruntled family member who has totally lost contact with reality, and all bets are off.

LA Sunset said...

//They're all a bunch of slimy hypocrites.//

I wouldn't say all of them are. But I bet you can literally count those who are not on one hand. That leaves a significantly overwhelming percentage of those who are.

As for Byrd, well the guy was in Washington for ages. That pretty much tells us which category he is in.

LA Sunset said...

//The rest of the poor schmucks with the government plan get the pleasure of seeing Dr.Displaced Worker.//

As long as the wording doesn't include the lowering of academic standards for the curricula of those programs, I don't think we will have much to worry about....right now.

I say this because many will flunk out before they are allowed to kill anyone. It's not for everyone. I know there are some who get through anyway, but many more do not.

LA Sunset said...

//Maybe I don't understand the debate but why sustain a life which has run full circle. Life is finite. No one lives forever.//

I can empathize with people who struggle with making such a decision concerning a loved one. It cannot be easy.

But as for me, I would rather remember the person as they were at their peak, not as they lay in misery while having a machine breathe for them. Especially when they are deteriorating and not getting better.

Anonymous said...

You know Sunsett, maybe one should make the terms of their will contingent on having their living will and feelings respected by the recipients??? It might clear up a lot of the reality issues that one may have when you are on your death bed!

HAM

A.C. McCloud said...

For some reason just sat and watched the blinkless Pelosi on the Maddow show. She is clearly detached from all reality, but not far enough to notice that Maddow was asking too many questions about Bart Stupak's abortion roadblock. "This bill doesn't fund abortion". No, it just forces everyone to buy insurance that will be mandated to cover abortion, that's all.

Anonymous said...

I think it’s just too bad the D'Alesandro's didn’t abort Nancy. It would have been the patriotic thing to do.

They ARE all Democrats, right?

LA Sunset said...

//You know Sunsett, maybe one should make the terms of their will contingent on having their living will and feelings respected by the recipients???//

Not a bad idea, but why does it have to be that complicated just to get family members to comply with the wishes of the dying?

LA Sunset said...

//No, it just forces everyone to buy insurance that will be mandated to cover abortion, that's all.//

Now you are just parsing words AC. Have you no dignity?

/sarc

LA Sunset said...

//They ARE all Democrats, right?//

Doesn't matter, they obviously didn't do something right when little Nan was in her formative years. I mean, my kids are a bit on the wild side, but I doubt either of them will ever serve in Congress. They have too much of a value system.