Massachusetts Citizens for Life MCFL NEWS a Strong Voice for the Most Fundamental Human Right
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Massachusetts Citizens For Life MCFL NEWS A Strong Voice for the Most Fundamental Human Right Volume 29 Number 6 MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE NEWS Nov/Dec 2008 Massachusetts Citizens For Life presents Anthony Esolen, PhD Professor, Providence College Sunday, November 9, 2008 Room 403, Hogan Hall, Holy Cross Pre-registration, $5.00, At door, $7.00 Translation: Divine Comedy, author of best selling: The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization “The New Paganism: What Kind of People Dispose of their Children” Chapter Leadership Conference Conference, 2:00pm - 5:00pm Dinner, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Holy Cross The Dinner and Presentation are free for all Chapter people who attend the Conference. MCFL Political Action Committee endorses the ticket of John The Conference is designed for people McCain and Sarah Palin for President and Vice-President. who are active in Chapters, have been According to PAC Chairman, Jack Rowe, “The contrast between the two tickets could active or would like to become active. not be more dramatic. McCain and Palin are 100% pro-life. Their opponents have promised to immediately rescind all laws that protect pregnant women and unborn Among the resources for the day are children.” Ben Wetmore, who has taught at Morton Blackwell’s Leadership “The PAC has also endorsed Jeff Beatty (R) for United States Senate. Mr Beatty, who Institute in Washington, D.C. and is running against pro abortion champion John Kerry (D), takes a 100% pro-life leaders of various types of Chapters position. around the state. We have endorsed two candidates for Congress. Earl Henry Sholley (R) is the pro- We will also be telling you what MCFL life challenger to pro-abortion Barney Frank (D). Pro-life Nate Bech (R) is challenging can do for you! John Olver who has a perfect pro abortion voting record” Pro-Life people across the state We need to know who is coming to will wear a blue ribbon on their Rowe also announced a PAC initiative to help the National Right to Life PAC with order food. Please pre-register precious Feet until Laura’s Law, pro-life literature drops. MCFL PAC volunteers will work in New Hampshire the 617-242-4199, or email the Women’s Right to Know, is weekend before the election. Anyone looking for more information can check [email protected] on or passed! www.masscitizensforlife.org/pac.html before Nov 7,2008 Unborn Children are depending on you Election Day November 4th! Page 2 MCFL News - November/December 2008 from the president Anne Fox FOOD AND WATER ARE DUE TO ALL, EVEN IF ADMINISTERED ARTIFICAILLY. medical personnel to remove the DNR, which she had never authorized in the first PAIN MEDICATION IS FOR PAIN ONLY, NOT TO SUPPRESS VITAL place. They refuse. She has to be transferred to another facility in order to remove the FUNCTIONS. DNR orders. This is a true story. It happened in Massachusetts. Every one of us needs to have those two statements posted on our refrigerators and Why do I share these stories? Each occurred in my small community in the last few above our desks. weeks, and each is illustrative of the false thinking that is driving medical care and We are about to vote. We are all working very hard. We are confident that the determining our attitudes toward, and care of, the sick, the elderly, and the disabled. election will produce an administration dedicated to the protection of all innocent We all understand the issues surrounding abortion and related situations like human life. embryonic stem cell research. Complex as they are, there are certain basic principles. Why then am I concerned about serious, scary end-of-life issues? All around us in Their magnet would read, our communities every day, good, common sense medical practice is being violated LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION. and people are dying. INNOCENT LIFE DESERVES PROTECTION – LEGAL PROTECTION IF A typical scenario: a woman has trouble swallowing. They never determine whether NECESSARY. she has had a slight stroke or make any attempt to find out what might have caused End of life issues seem more complex. In some ways they certainly are. The chances her problem. They never provide swallowing therapy, give her a healthy liquid diet, are that they will touch each one of us in our own lives the way abortion may not. or give her any kind of feeding tube. They send her home. They give her family the Yet there are also certain basic principles to help us judge each situation. impression that she is dying. She doesn’t think she is dying. She is able to drink Respect for human dignity extends to all persons. Decisions should be free and well- milkshakes. Eventually, obviously, she becomes very weak. She is not in pain but informed whether made by the patient or a surrogate who must receive all reasonable they start morphine, which suppresses breathing and hastens death. This is a true, information about the essential nature of the proposed treatment and its benefits, story. It happened in Massachusetts. risks, side-effects, consequences, and cost and any morally legitimate alternatives, A women is elderly but in perfect health She is pressured by her nurse practitioner to including no treatment at all. sign a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR)order which is then placed in her official medical According to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, records and in the “File of Life”. She wonders about the order because she is not which are an excellent source of pro life common sense in treating patients, “There sick. The nurse tells her it will be easier for the EMT’s. This is a true story. It should be a presumption in favor of providing nutrition and hydration to all patients, happened in Massachusetts. including patients who require medically assisted nutrition and hydration, as long as People with mental disabilities are having DNR orders put on their charts. When they this is of sufficient benefit to outweigh the burdens involved to the patient” (Dir #58) are no longer necessary (if they actually were), they are not removed. Advocates for Further, “A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary or proportionate means of these people try to get the DNR orders removed and are unable to do so. Advocates preserving his or her life. Proportionate means are those that in the judgment of the are convinced this is a cost saving measure for the state. This is a true story. It patient offer a reasonable hope of benefit and do not entail an excessive burden…” happened in Massachusetts. (Dir # 56) The same thing is occurring with elderly people who have been sick and have And, “The free and informed judgment mad eby a competent adult patient concerning recovered. A woman has recovered so well from a heart attack that she requests the the use or withdrawal of life sustaining procedures should always be respected and generally complied with, unless it is contrary to Catholic moral teaching” (Dir #59) “Patients should be kept as free of pain as possible so that they may die comfortably MCFL News - PP 597 is published bi- Send address changes to: and with dignity, and in the place where they wish to die. Since a person has the right monthly by Massachusetts Citizens for LIfe, to prepare for his or her death while fully conscious, he or she should not be Inc., 529 Main Street, Charlestown, MA MCFL News deprived of consciousness without compelling reason.” (Dir # 61) 02129-1100. Application to mail at periodical 529 Main Street These Directives spell out the basic pro life approach to end of life issues. Each of rate is pending at Boston, MA Postmaster. Charlestown, MA 02129-1100 us needs to internalize them. If we don’t, we, and people close to us, may be inadvertently complicit in hastening the death of a loved one because we have listened to some “professionals” rather than applying what we know is right. We have a responsibility for our loved ones and the people in our community. We Massachusetts Citizens For Life must prepare for ourselves also. The MCFL Convention ’09 will feature End of Life Issues – it has to. In the meantime, each of us should beware of so called “Living Wills” and choose a good MCFL NEWS Health Care Agent document, which is actually a “will to live”. http:// A Strong Voice for the Most Fundamental Human Right www.macathconf.org/proxy99.pdfhttp://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/ index.htmlhttp:/ and www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/index.html are sources we Anne Fox President, Publisher Marie Sturgis Executive Director recommend. Henry Luthin, Esq. Chairman of the Board Amy Boschen Editor If you do not have access to the internet, please call the MCFL Office, 617-242-4199. Published bimonthly and mailed to members of MCFL. Periodical application pending. We will mail you a pro life document for you to name a Health Care Agent. Headquarters: The Schrafft Center; 529 Main Street, Boston, MA 02129 TEL (617) 242-4199 Web address: www.masscitizensforlife.org Pioneer Valley Office: P.O. Box 96, Ludlow, MA 01056 TEL (413) 583-5034 MISSION STATEMENT: In recognition of the fact that each human life is a continuum from conception to natural death, the mission of Massachusetts Citizens For Life, is to promote respect for human life and to defend the right to life of all human Visit our brand new website today! www.masscitizensforlife.org! beings, born and preborn. We will influence public policy at the local, state and national levels through comprehensive educational, legislative, political and charitable activities.