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I've added my signature to the letter below. Dr. Mark Mostert, Director Institute for the Study of Disabilities & Bioethics Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Bests, Mark On Jul 5, 2009, at 10:09 AM, Colin Barnes wrote: > Please can you sign and help get signatories? > > This is very urgent please can you do it today? > > Best wishes Jane > Baroness Campbell, of Surbiton, D.B.E. > 116a Princes Avenue > Surbiton > Surrey > KT6 7JW > http://www.livingwithdignity.info > > Please note: this e-mail may have been written using voice > recognition software. Whilst every effort was made to eliminate > text errors and omissions, I apologise for any that have been > overlooked. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Peter Saunders<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > To: Peter Saunders<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; Jane Campbell<mailto:[log in to unmask] > > ; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; Kate > Nash<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask] > > ; David Morris<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask] > > ; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 1:57 PM > Subject: RE: People with disabilities letter - Please sign - URGENT > and IMPORTANT > > Nine signatories now - we need UKPDC and RADAR - can anyone contact > them and get them on board? > > P > > ________________________________ > > From: Peter Saunders > Sent: Fri 03/07/2009 23:40 > To: Peter Saunders; Jane Campbell; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask] > >; Kate Nash; > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>; David > Morris; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>; [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>; > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>; Peter Saunders > Subject: People with disabilities letter - Please sign - URGENT and > IMPORTANT > > > Dear All, > > > > Please find pasted below the letter from leaders of the disabled > people's movement in the UK and the US which we will be aiming to > place in a major national newspaper (Telegraph or Times most > probably) on Monday 6th July, the day before the debate on Lord > Falconers amendment in the House of Lords > > > > Baroness Jane Campbell has redrafted the letter and with some very > light further editing this has now also been agreed by David Morris > > > > We have nine signatories thus far (see below) > > > > It will not be possible now to do a lot more editing on the letter > so we will all have to accept that the wording might not be exactly > as we might prefer - the most important thing is to get as many > people in leadership positions as possible to sign > > > > I have copied in here Tara Flood, Kate Nash and Liz Sayce > > > > David has also suggested Julie Newman but I don't have her email > address - can someone add her? > > > > The best way of dealing with this is to add your names and > descriptions to the letter below and click 'reply all' - that way we > can all keep up with how it is going and you can all see who else > has signed > > > > I am happy to coordinate things but will need your help so if you > know someone who hasn't responded can you give them a fone call? > > > > If you can think of other good names to approach please add them to > the cc box above - we will need to call a halt by Sunday midday at > the latest to get it into the paper - scroll down for the letter > > > > Many thanks for your help > > > > Peter > > > > Peter Saunders > > Director > > Care Not Killing > > Visit us at www.carenotkilling.org.uk<http:// > www.carenotkilling.org.uk> <http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/> > > Mob 07970 383797 > > Tel 020 7234 9662 > > > > Dear Sir, > > > > As leaders of the disabled people's movement in the UK and the USA, > we are extremely concerned about how the proposed amendment to the > Coroners and Justice Bill will impact on the lives of disabled people. > > > > If Lord Falconer's amendment succeeds in the House of Lords on > Tuesday 7 July then those who assist 'terminally ill' people to go > abroad to end their lives in 'suicide clinics' would be immune from > prosecution. The phrase 'terminally ill' is not defined in the > amendment, and could potentially apply to people with a very wide > range of chronic progressive illnesses some with life expectancy > stretching to decades. > > > > Disabled people who experience progressive conditions understand far > more than non-disabled people about what it is live with these > pressures. We know what is acceptable as disease or disability > progresses, and for the huge number of us who say no to assisted > suicide, it is because we fear the changing culture such an > amendment would bring. People without experience of disability, > including our friends and families cannot predict what each stage of > our personal journey will mean. Furthermore, financial and emotional > conflicts of interest will always present an added burden to the > situation. A law decriminalising assisted suicide would undoubtedly > place disabled people under pressure to end their lives early to > relieve the burden on relatives, carers or the state. > > > > These concerns are not side issues that only affect disabled people. > We are like society's 'canaries in the coalmine' who can often see > the dangers of potentially discriminatory legislation before others, > as it impacts on us even before the deed is done. We are scared now; > we will be terrified if assisted suicide becomes state-sanctioned. > > > > The existing law, with the penalties it holds in reserve, causes > potential assisters and those wishing to die, to think very > carefully before acting. The discretion within the current law > enables judges to exercise compassion in hard cases. What is not > broken does not need fixing. > > > > Disabled people have been largely silent in this debate which has > been carried out in the media by clerics, non-disabled commentators > and a small handful of individuals with terminal conditions who are > supported by Dignity in Dying. Until large numbers of people like us > are present to engage in this highly complex and ethical debate, we > must strongly oppose any device such as Lord Falconer's amendment to > get assisted dying in through the back door. > > > > Haqeeq Bostan > > Director of New Disability Policy Forum > > > > Baroness Campbell of Surbiton > > Crossbench Peer > > > > Diane Coleman > > President, Not Dead Yet > > > > Liz Crow > > Roaring Girl Productions > > > > Alison Davis > > National Coordinator, No Less Human > > > > Stephen Drake > > Research Analyst, Not Dead Yet > > > > Marilyn Golden > Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) > > > > David Morris > > Chair of Independent Living Alternatives > > > > Dawn Willis > > Activist/Trainer affiliated to RETHINK Dr. Mark P. Mostert, Director Institute for the Study of Disabilities & Bioethics Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA > > ________________End of message________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre > for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies) > . > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this > web page. __________________________ Mark P. Mostert, PhD Because it is the land that grew me, and because they are my people, I sometimes forget to be astonished by Africans. - Alexandra Fuller, Scribbling the Cat ________________End of message________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask] Archives and tools are located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.