Doc-assisted suicide

Of interest, in light of our discussion on Tuesday, this from the NYTimes:

A group of doctors and terminally ill patients are asking New York courts to declare that doctor-assisted suicide is legal and not covered by the state’s prohibition on helping people take their own lives.

Under longtime interpretations of state law, a doctor who helps a terminally ill patient die by providing a fatal dose of medication can be prosecuted under the manslaughter statute, which covers anyone who “intentionally causes or aids another person to commit suicide.”

The lawsuit, to be filed Wednesday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, contends that the law was intended to prevent someone from, for instance, helping a lovesick teenager commit suicide, but not to stop a doctor from helping a mentally competent, terminally ill patient die...

continues...

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A wonderful recent book makes the ethical case against suicide: 

And,

"What's in those supplements?"

Measles: Perilous but Preventable Amid a rare U.S. outbreak, some reminders about the need and safety of vaccinations for all.

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Has the Measles Outbreak Changed Your Views on Vaccination? Describe Your Experience 
New York Times journalists would like to hear from parents, particularly those in California and Arizona, who have chosen not to vaccinate their children against measles and other diseases...

And,

Check out the new "Vaccination links" sidebar in the right margin.