Murder / Suicide - 90-Year-Old Man Charged

The Associated Press reports on this sad story.

A 90-year-old retired physician has been charged with killing his terminally ill wife at their Southern California home but remains hospitalized after turning the gun on himself.

Dr. James Fish was charged Monday with voluntary manslaughter and could face 21 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say Fish apparently wanted to end his wife's suffering when he allegedly shot 88-year-old Phyllis Fish on Sunday at their Leisure World home in Laguna Woods.

District attorney's spokeswoman Susan Schroeder says Fish gave the bedridden woman morphine and first used a gun that didn't fire. A caretaker called 911, but prosecutors claim Fish got another gun and shot both his wife and himself in the head.

There's certainly a big difference between this case and the frequent incidents of abusive male gun owners shooting their wives. I find it almost hard to believe this man will be charged with anything.

On the other hand, I realize we cannot allow people to decide willy-nilly when euthanasia is appropriate. I would never condone people taking guns out of their closets to address medical emergencies, but in this case I feel only sympathy for Dr. Fish.

What's your opinion? Although this is an extreme twist on "doctor assisted suicide," do you think what he did is morally acceptable? Does this present more evidence of my own confused stance? I'm opposed to capital punishment, pro-choice on abortion and pro-euthanasia in certain cases.

What do you think?

(Cross posted on mikeb302000)

Glenn Beck Speading the Lies

The Huffington Post published a fascinating article by Jim Wallis on Glenn Beck. The title: "Pray for Glenn Beck." It seems the master showman, Beck, has again invoked the tear-jerking story of his handicapped daughter in order to further the lies about Obama's intentions with health care reform.

They [the government] will say exactly what doctors said about my 21-year-old daughter: "She may not really have a quality of life. She may not walk or talk or feed herself. But then again miracles happen." The "then again, miracles happen" part of that will be left out of the conversation. And I will not be able to see my daughter's 21st birthday, where I can reflect with her how miracles do happen. Because really, as I was told at the beginning of her life: Well, what kind of quality of life is she going to really have? I don't know, but that's for God to decide, not the government.

All this, obviously preys on the fears of people taken in by talk of "death panels" and other nonsense. Nothing in the proposed bill says anything about euthanasia. "All of the reform proposals being debated include provisions to cap out-of-pocket expenses, end exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and eliminate limits like our friends' annual $250,000 cap on coverage."

The last time I heard Glenn Beck talking about his daughter it was in the context of the gun debate. At that time I thought he was a bully. Now, after a bit more exposure to him, I still think he's a bully. What's your opinion?

Do you find the behaviour of Glenn Beck is morally reprehensible? Or, do you think he's sincere in what he says? I think that's the key question. If he does this just for the ratings, he's a moral criminal, in my opinion. If he's sincere, on the other hand, he's just another misguided person who happens to have a huge audience.

Please let us know what you think?