Aids HIV FAQ

YAY! WE WON IN OREGON!

Question:

The numbers this morning on the ‘tube are that the anti-gay ballot measure has lost.  With 95% of the vote in, the tally is 53% no to 47% yes. While absentee ballots may favor the yes tally a bit more, it won’t be enough to change the result.  It sure feels good to have beat those slimy homophobic OCA bastards (AGAIN). obBodyMod: Oregon has also made history this morning by passing the physician assisted suicide measure 52% to 48%.  i hadn’t allowed myself to get my hopes up over that one.  It allows terminally ill people with less than six months to live to obtain drugs from their physicians (three doctors have to concur) to compassionately end their life.  i think this is the first law of its kind in the world, if i’m not mistaken. i’m very proud of my home state this morning. — boy brent                       |

Response:

>The numbers this morning on the ‘tube are that the anti-gay ballot >measure has lost.  With 95% of the vote in, the tally is 53% no to 47% yes. >While absentee ballots may favor the yes tally a bit more, it won’t >be enough to change the result.  It sure feels good to have beat those >slimy homophobic OCA bastards (AGAIN). >i’m very proud of my home state this morning. >– >boy brent                       |

I am proud of my adopted state, but not my home state (Texas) and our new governor, George Bush , Jr. —

Response:

: obBodyMod: Oregon has also made history this morning by passing the : physician assisted suicide measure 52% to 48%.  i hadn’t allowed : myself to get my hopes up over that one.  It allows terminally ill : people with less than six months to live to obtain drugs from their : physicians (three doctors have to concur) to compassionately end their : life.  i think this is the first law of its kind in the world, if i’m : not mistaken. Actually, the Dutch Abe had P.A.S. for years… Holland has more stringent "safeguards" as well..and there are problems… Prof handed out two editorials today in Medical Sociology, pro and con… you might be interested: Boston Globe, Thursday, November 3 — Ellen Goodman "Death on the Ballot"  (pro) Wall Street Journal, 11/2 — Leon R. Lass, "Death by Ballot in Oregon" (con) they were both really interesting editorials, more so in that the Kass piece was not arguing from a religious standpoint, but more the limits of physicians.  His fears are that it will not go on death certificates and can so not be monitored through the future, and also that it may be difficult to prevent future attempts to expand those who may request it from those who can speak for themselves to those who cannot, as well. urk… forgive.. i’m terribly lagged, it is past one am, and i didn’t sleep last night either… Eilonwy, wondering whether she’ll ever catch up on sleep

Response:

:: life.  i think this is the first law of its kind in the world, if i’m :: not mistaken. :Actually, the Dutch Abe had P.A.S. for years… Holland has more :stringent "safeguards" as well..and there are problems… It’s still technically illegal in the Netherlands.  The legal establishment has just turned a blind eye to it for twenty years. rof handed out two editorials today in Medical Sociology, pro and :con… :you might be interested: [smiles gently] might i suggest to you that, after a three month political campaign, being bombarded with advertisements from both sides (mostly against, sponsored by the Catholic Church), and purusing the Voter’s Guide, detailing the text and analysis of the measure, and reading endless arguments in the voter’s guide both for and against it, i can probably anticipate what some of those objections might have been; like a majority of Oregon voters, i don’t buy them.  The patient has to have a terminal illness with less than six months to live; at least two doctors have to agree with the diagnosis; the patient has to request the medication three times, the third time in writing; and sie has to administer the drugs hirself.  The pharmacist can’t be sued if anything goes wrong.  If problems come up they can be addressed later on; but this is a BIG TIME body ownership issue to me.  i have sat and watched helplessly as friends of mine have died of AIDS.  Some of them wished to fight to the very end, others have wanted some way to meet death halfway.  It is not my place to choose this for them, but it certainly ought to be their choice.  And now it is. — boy brent                       |

Response:

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