Inexcusable silence: Cowardice in the face of controversy is not a virtue.

[BrklynLiberal]

Repost of a thread that did not get the attention it deserved.

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Inexcusable silence
In addition, organized medicine and hospice care in America need to reflect on their relative lack of participation in the national debate about Schiavo. With the exception of the California Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, which rapidly got some useful articles into print, the American Academy of Neurology and a few other health care groups, few medical organizations spoke out or used this event as an opportunity to teach or explain. Most groups, such as the American Medical Association, were, sadly, nowhere to be found.

And where were the patient advocacy groups and those who represent the interests of the disabled, the chronically sick and the brain injured? Not Dead Yet spoke up and let their views be known. But where were the many other groups who also speak for those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, ALS, cancer, AIDS, spinal cord injuries, cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease and numerous other maladies where very hard choices about terminating treatment and even ending the use of feeding tubes have to be made. Ducking commentary on the Schiavo case should not be an option for those with the most experience in decisions to stop care. Cowardice in the face of controversy is not a virtue.

And yes, we heard from the Vatican about its thoughts concerning Schiavo. But where were the Christian Scientists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the fundamentalist Protestants who turn to prayer to express their views on the right to refuse any and all medical care including a feeding tube? And what were the views of the Lutheran Church, the United Church of Christ, reform Jews, Congregationalists, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Unitarians, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians on the right to refuse treatment including feeding tubes? These groups owe it to us to end their silence and to weigh in with their thinking.

Those who suggested that any hospice would ever let a person die a miserable, painful death should simply recant. Hospice is one of the greatest institutions ever to appear in American health care. No one, whatever their motives or goals, should ever be allowed to suggest that those who provide care in hospices do so in a way that does anything other than put the control of pain and the maintenance of human dignity at the forefront.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7289351/

original thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3400066

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. Resigning from the AMA....

A physician in my family is resigning from the AMA due to this, and many other issues, where they remain silent. He feels that they only speak out for tort reform and don't do enough in conveying advancement of scientific medical knowledge to the public.

It is a voluntary organization and does not impact on one's ability to practice medicine.