Demonstrate Your Compassion in Action: Create Safe Harbor Communities
Updated February 10th, 2010.
Saving Lives/Creating Safe Harbors
It is more important than ever to create and maintain safe harbors in our communities: places where people can go to receive health care they can trust with their lives, care which includes true compassion rather than the false choices like suicide, assisted suicide, and elder abuse. Here's how you can demonstrate your compassion and save lives.
Join compassion advocates in protesting the one year anniversary of the legalization of assisted suicide in Washington State and advocating for seniors, people with chronic or serious illnessess and disabilites. Demonstrate your compassion with action--show all those at risk for assisted suicide that you care.
When? On March 5th, 2010, from 12 noon to 1pm.
Where? At the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, on the sidewalk near the front of the hospital at 1959 N.E. Pacific Street. Note: Signs will be provided.As a patient or community member, you have a right to know if your health care provider offers a safe harbor from assisted suicide and elder abuse or not. Physicians and health care providers need your encouragement to maintain life-affirming policies and care. The majority of health care providers want to provide excellent care rather than a handful of lethal drugs, but they need to hear from true compassion advocates.
Philip Nitschke, from the suicide promotion group Exit International, sponsored a 'how to commit suicide' workshop targeting "well elders" in Washington State and elsewhere in the US and Canada in November of 2009. Washington's "liberal" assisted suicide law now has Nitschke considering opening a US office for his suicide promotion activites. Write Letters/Contact the Washington State Attorney General, Whatcom County Prosecutor, or those in authority in your state or country.
Do you have a family member or friend who has a chronic health condition or illness? How about an elderly neighbor who needs help or a co-worker with a disability? Simple outreach and neighborly concern can go a long way towards decreasing the market for suicide and assisted suicide and improving support for those at risk. A loving word or action, a check in visit, phone call, or email can make a world of difference. Lend a helping hand, make a meal, reach out with loving concern.
See our excellent resources on caregiver resources, including organizations which can help, serious illness support, aging with courage, and suicide prevention.