New England Foliage Ahead of Schedule

This year, peak foliage is arriving a week or two ahead of schedule, with leaves changing early in response to recent weather stressors.

Read to find out the best timing for your area.

Massachusetts Aid in Dying Bill

PROPOSED CHAPTER 201G

Section 1. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Adult”, an individual who is 18 years of age or older.

“Aid in Dying”, the medical practice of a physician prescribing lawful medication to a qualified patient, which the patient may choose to self-administer to bring about a peaceful death.

[The above paragraph states that a patient "may choose to self-administer" medication "to bring about a peaceful death."  The paragraph does not, however, "require" that a patient self-administer medication to bring about his or her peaceful death.  

Deaths may also not be peaceful due to a patient's unwillingness to consume and/or be injected with a lethal dose meant to kill him or her.]

For Assistance in Dying, Please Press 1

Liz Carr’s (pictured right) documentary, “Better Off Dead?”, continues making a difference, serving as a wake up call about the dangers assisted suicide laws pose for people with disabilities. A Boston Globe columnist noted this week:

The most chilling detail in “Better Off Dead?” a new BBC documentary by the English actress and comedian Liz Carr, is an automated telephone message. …

Thank you for calling. The Ontario Medical Assistance in Dying Care Coordination Service is designed to provide information about end of life options in Ontario and referrals for Medical Assistance in Dying. If you would like to speak with an adviser to access the service or get more information, please press 1.

Massachusetts Disability Rights Advocates Available for Interviews

Second Thoughts Director John B. Kelly [pictured right] says,

“Legalized assisted suicide is less about pain and more about fear of increasing disability and dependence on others. We support equal suicide prevention services, and yet individual suicide isn’t illegal. Our bottom line: keep your assisted suicide away from vulnerable people and our unequal and broken healthcare system.” John is commonly referred to as “paralyzed from the neck down,” which makes him eligible, in Canada and elsewhere, for lethal injection. Contact for Mr. Kelly 617-952-3302.

Second Thoughts member Pamela Daly says, “Bills like S.1331 have the potential to cause great harm to marginalized people like me and must not pass. Its safeguards are ridiculously easy to get around, and in other states that passed these bills, proponents soon got busy weakening them.” Ms. Daly 617-543-7868