Petition's full impact a surprise to signers (a Terri Schiavo bill for Ne)

[Omaha Steve]

Full long story reg req: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2215088



Published Sunday
July 30, 2006

Petition's full impact a surprise to signers

BY NICHOLE AKSAMIT


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

More than 137,000 people signed petitions this summer to put a "humane care" measure on the fall ballot in Nebraska.

They may have thought they were helping people in the same condition as Terri Schiavo, the brain-injured Florida woman who died last year after her feeding tube was disconnected.

But if the signatures are certified in August and voters approve the measure in November, the resulting amendment to the Nebraska Constitution could force families in numerous other situations to surrender medical decisions about loved ones to strangers and the courts.

The ballot measure would require caregivers to provide anyone in their care with food and water - by mouth, intravenous tube, feeding tube or other means - unless the person already has an advance directive that allows otherwise.

It includes no explicit exceptions for parents of minor children. Or Alzheimer's patients. Or people who have had strokes, car accidents and aneurysms. Or anyone who never had or is suddenly without the mental capacity to draft an advance directive. There would be no exceptions for medical situations in which providing food and water might cause a patient discomfort or harm.

And though the measure would leave families out of decisions to withdraw care, it expressly allows outside observers to file lawsuits to force food and water to be provided - regardless of a patient's comfort or medical state.


More at link....
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[salin]

1. This language is just creepy:

And though the measure would leave families out of decisions to withdraw care, it expressly allows outside observers to file lawsuits to force food and water to be provided - regardless of a patient's comfort or medical state.

So even if one has power of attorney for a family member, your and other family members' voices are NOT included. However strangers who belong to a political group (say a legal arm of Dobson's group or Fallwell's group) - can file lawsuits on "behalf" of the patient.

Do I get that correctly?

[Omaha Steve]

3. Yes you got it right

I was warned at the Douglas County Democratic Convention in June about how bad this is. Apparently the pro lifers didn't bother to read what they signed.

[salin]

4. I hope there is growing media coverage of the issue.

Reminds me of the memo circulated by Sen Martinez in the wake of the Schaivo vote - which suggested how the issue could be used as a wedge, and could be used to push for legislation nullifying "Living Wills." Most of the public is NOT in favor of nullifying living wills.

[Toots]

2. Practicing Medicine without a license

The whole damn state.