“Thanks, Arlen!”
or, if you prefer, Just What’s Needed
a random pagemonkey rant

 

Although I have gained a certain amount of respect for the man, Gentle Reader, Arlen Specter is not someone I have found much agreement with.

And his latest, a “prodding” of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs about the content of their document Your Life, Your Choices is something I find to be somewhat disagreeable.

Admitting to not having read it, and only having looked at some key phrases, Specter has sent a letter with the statement “There is an issue as to whether the VA document inappropriately pressures disabled veterans who forgo critical care by subtly urging them on end-of-life decisions.”

Perhaps I feel this way because I’ve read the document, and simply don’t see what the all his fuss is about.

Your Life, Your Choices has come under fire before, and has been knicknamed The Death Book for Veterans by some.

YLYC covers quality of life issues in some depth, through the use of short scenarios. While the writing may be somewhat cheesy, these simple vignettes present what I feel to be a fairly accurate picture of what one’s declining days can be like. Certainly, I’m biased, because I believe that death is a phase of life one should go into eyes fully open, but I must admit that I certainly didn’t feel pressured while reading it.

This kerfluffle was apparently started by a an editorial in The Wall Street Journal recently, in which writer Jim Towey interpretted the wording as some sort of “hurry up and die” message.

Towey, by the way, was W’s Director of Faith-Based Initiatives (”faith Czar”) from ‘02 through ‘06, and is a member of Knights of Columbus. (See this Notable Names Database mapper.)

But more important than that, Towey is not a veteran, has not served in the US military.

For that matter, Arlen Specter is ex-USAF but served stateside during the Vietnam War.

I think those critical of the publication simply don’t understand two things: That death is part of life, and that YLYC was written for a military audience.

I also think that most of the military audience is much more realistic about death than many of the Faithers are. You live, and when you need to, you die. No sense in dragging shit out interminably.

Towey was speaking specifically of a worksheet on page 25 of the PDF file entitled “What makes your life worth living?” and compared it to a political “push” poll. Those are polls in which the wording of a question is designed to elicit an answer within a desired range.

On this worksheet there is a list of conditions, and a column next to it for choices:

“Life like this would be [difficult but acceptable] [worth living but just barely] [not worth living] and [can't answer now]”

This “A” through “S” list of conditions includes such things as being confined to a wheel chair, being in constant pain, being unable to control bowels or bladder, not being able to recognize family and friends, and other dismal prospects of varying degrees of dismalness.

Frankly, I think anyone who hasn’t given these issues serious thought should prolly take a few weeks and work through them.

Given that medical technology can keep nearly anyone alive in nearly any condition, it’s time to face down quality of life issues - and it’s something you should do with a clear head, well in advance of the need to.

Advice on death is a well-fueled topic at the moment, writing anything about end-of-life is sure to grab internet hits like mad because of all the silly “Death Panel” crap we’ve heard from the Frothing Right, and I have a sneaking suspicion capitalizing on this was Towey’s hope in penning his ridiculous and more than slightly biased peice.

Meetings over YLYC are cropping up like mushrooms, and YLYC is currently under rewrite to make it pallatable to the lilly-livered. Eventually it will be re-printed and distributed, the costs for which will be paid by taxpayers.

All to satisfy an audience it wasn’t written for.

I’ll stop ranting now, with a simple cheeky thanks to Arlen.

At a time when the VA is strapped for funds, and is having much more important issues like quality of care as a result, the organization really needs a non-issue like this to lighten things up and spend extra manhours.

Ku-fucking-dos! Glad we can count on you to still think like a Republican, even though you’ve jumped ship.

Keeping with this sudden nautical theme, here’s a nice wikipedia page on keelhauling.

Keep it in mind, Arlen!

~ pagemonkey