Dear Debbie and Paul,
If I'm unable to sign on because I'm from "The Big Apple" I've
signed on in all other ways!!!!!!!!!!!
Best,
Phyllis
On Fri, 6 Nov 1998, Devva Kasnitz wrote:
> >Return-Path: [log in to unmask]
> >Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 21:18:57 -0800 (PST)
> >From: PAUL KENNETH LONGMORE <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: PAUL KENNETH LONGMORE <[log in to unmask]>
> >cc: PAUL KENNETH LONGMORE <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Physician-Assisted Suicide Conference
> >
> >Colleagues:
> >
> >This coming Friday, November 13th, a conference will be held at UCSF to
> >promote legalization of physician-assisted suicide in California. A bill
> >to that effect will be introduced in Sacramento in the upcoming
> >legislative session. The conference program includes prominent lawmakers,
> >community leaders, and foundation executives. San Francisco Mayor Willie
> >Brown will welcome the conferees. But the perspective of most
> >disability-rights activists will be excluded. We are writing to ask you
> >to sign on to the letter of protest that follows. Please forward this
> >letter to other members of the California disability community.
> >
> >Names of endorsers should be emailed to: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >Please indicate if you are endorsing for yourself or on behalf of a
> >disability-community organization. We need the endorsements by 2 pm,
> >Monday, November 9th.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Deborah Kaplan Paul K. Longmore
> >Executive Director Professor of History
> >World Institute on Disability San Francisco State University
> >
> >
> >
> >AN OPEN LETTER TO PARTICIPANTS AND SPONSORS OF THE CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE
> >ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DYING
> >
> >On Friday, November 13, 1998, "the California Conference on Physician-
> >Assisted Dying" will be held at the University of California San
> >Francisco. Because you are listed as a participant or sponsor, we, as
> >leaders in the California Disability Rights Community, are writing to you
> >to express our concerns about this gathering and on the issue in general.
> >
> >Disability-rights organizations in California and across the country --
> >including ADAPT, Californians for Disability Rights, the Multiple
> >Sclerosis California Action Network (MS-CAN), the National Council on
> >Independent Living, the National Council on Disability, the World
> >Institute on Disability and Not Dead Yet-- have all taken strong stands
> >against legalization.
> >
> >People with disabilities are regularly bombarded with messages that we
> >cost too much to be allowed to live. On February 24th, this year, the
> >Second Circuit Court of Appeal ruled, with the support of the national
> >agency that regulates Medicaid and Medicare, that these programs need not
> >pay for all medically necessary treatments, and may limit their coverage
> >for budgetary reasons, even if (quote) "Put bluntly, . . . [it] would be a
> >death sentence for some patients." On July 6th, the media reported that
> >the nation's top HMOs are pulling out of state Medicaid programs which
> >serve poor, elderly and disabled people. At the same time, policy makers
> >like Ex-Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, are advocating a "duty to die"
> >that would apply to those with medical conditions whose lives are too
> >burdensome on families and society. This is the broader context from
> >which our position on this issue is founded.
> >
> >It comes as no surprise that a diverse constituency of groups, including
> >persons with disabilities, turned down the Physician Assisted Suicide
> >Initiative in Michigan on November 3. Demographic analysis of the
> >opposition to the initiative shows that African Americans and older people
> >also are very skeptical of the reliability of any safeguards to protect
> >against abuse. Experience already demonstrates that programs that start
> >off with good intentions can easily become vehicles for younger people to
> >preside over the deaths of older people, well-off people to preside over
> >the deaths of poor people, white people to preside over the deaths of
> >people of color, and non-disabled people over the deaths of people with
> >disabilities.
> >
> >The organizers of the California Conference on Physician-Assisted Dying
> >have created the illusion that they are open to critical perspectives.
> >Yet rather than inviting leaders of any of the major disability rights
> >organizations listed above to present their views, the conference planners
> >have included a presentation from one of the few public figures from our
> >community who agrees with their agenda and is a member of the Board of
> >Directors of the Death with Dignity National Center. Thus, the
> >proceedings will promote a distorted public representation of opinion in
> >our movement.
> >
> >To our knowledge, the only disability organization to receive a
> >non-transferable invitation is the World Institute on Disability (WID),
> >and even that may have been a mistake, as it was addressed to the World
> >Institute on Aging. When WID's Executive Director Deborah Kaplan
> >contacted the Death with Dignity National Center in San Mateo, she was
> >told frankly that the conference planners had organized the program in
> >order to promote their political agenda, but that they would like to have
> >a dialogue with disability-rights leaders on another occasion. We find
> >that response patronizing, exclusionary and offensive.
> >
> >We want you to understand that a very large majority of disability
> >organizations and leaders in California are opposed to any form of
> >physician assisted suicide. We are aware of attempts to characterize our
> >perspective as that of an irrational fringe element, and the only response
> >we can provide is that this character assassination sheds more light on
> >the accusers than the accused. We invite you to look at who we are: you
> >know us. We provide services in your communities. You sit on our Boards
> >and Advisory Boards. You speak at our events. We are a part of your
> >community. We urge you to listen to us and take our position seriously.
> >If this issue re-asserts itself into the California political agenda, we
> >will speak out and our numbers will grow.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Deborah Kaplan Paul K. Longmore
> >Executive Director Professor of History
> >World Institute on Disability San Francisco State University
> >
> >
>
> Colleagues:
>
> Some of you have written to ask if it is possible to attend the conference at
> UCSF next week to promote legalization in California of physician-assisted
> suicide. Due to a mistake of mine, a paragraph regarding conference
> registration was inadvertently omitted from the letter Deborah Kaplan and I
> sent yesterday:
>
> "We are also concerned that the conference has been organized in such a way
> that it will effectively bar most people with
> disabilities from attending. The registration fee is $75. Few members of our
> community can afford such a charge. In addition, participation is by
> invitation only. Those invitations are not transferable. Thus, most people
> with disabilities will be prevented from voicing their views on an issue that
> directly affects their lives."
>
> The conference information phone numbers are 650-344-8100 and 650-344-6489.
>
> Paul K. Longmore
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------
> Devva Kasnitz, PhD
> Research Director,
> Research and Training Center
> on Independent Living and Disability Policy
> World Institute on Disability
> 510 16 Street, Suite #100
> Oakland, CA 94612-1500
>
> Voice: 510-251-4348
> TTY: 510-208-9493
> FAX: 510-208-9494
>
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
> Home: 2345 7th St
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