The Death Book
I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Death Book” for veterans.
http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf
Now they, they being the VA says the book is under revision…
Note –
The following is a 1997 publication that was produced under VA IIR Grant No. 94-050, “Development of an
Advance Care Planning Workbook,” 4/01/95 – 3/31/97. The document is currently undergoing revision for release in VA. The revised version will be available soon.
If it’s under revision why leave it up? More importantly why did they bring the book back? Bush put a end to the use of the book but as soon as Obama took office they brought it back, why? It only went under revision after the WSJ article by Jim Towery hit the street.
So what is this book? This is a work book for veteran to decide if they should live or die… the only choices they offer are; difficult but acceptable, worth living, but just barely, not worth living, can’t answer now. WTF?? Good thing Steven Hawkins isn’t a US veteran, he’d be a gonner according to the VA.
Oh by the way the left wing loon blogosphere is all a buzz with how FoxNews distorted this story, well that’s a lie from the left not surprisingly. So I will tell you what you look at the possible answers and the questions and you decide the facts, but another fact is what would the hell would the left know about the VA I highly doubt any of them ever served their country… but it doesn’t keep them from bitching about it. As for the VA, I’ve been to them and it is a highly flawed health care system and I’d only go there if I had no other choice… seriously I know a few Veterinarians I’d go to first.
However, if the book is being misrepresented then why is the Democrat poster boy Arlen Specter calling for hearing on the book and it’s content? Just sayin’
Calls for congressional hearing into end of life care booklet for veterans, given out by the VA
So let’s look at a few questions on Page 21…
Instructions this exercise will help you think about and
express what really matters to you. For each row, check (✔)
one answer to express how you would feel if this factor by
itself described you.Life like this would be:
difficult but acceptable, worth living, but just barely not worth living, can’t answer now a. I can no longer walk but get around in a wheelchair.
b. I can no longer get outside—I spend all day at home.
c. I can no longer contribute to my family’s well being.
d. I am in severe pain most of the time.
e. I have severe discomfort most of the time (such as nausea, diarrhea, or shortness of breath).
f. I rely on a feeding tube to keep me alive.
g. I rely on a kidney dialysis machine to keep me alive.
h. I rely on a breathing machine to keep me alive.
i. I need someone to help take care of me all of time.
j. I can no longer control my bladder.
k. I can no longer control my bowels.
l. I live in a nursing home.
m. I can no longer think clearly-I am confused all the time.
n. I can no longer recognize family/friends
o. I can no longer talk and be understood by others.
p. My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family (such as feeling worried or stressed all the time).
q. I am a severe financial burden on my family.
r. I cannot seem to “shake the blues.”
s. Other (write in):
Well isn’t a happy little list with happy little choices, isn’t it? As a veteran I find this book offensive. Where the hell is the answer… I WANT TO LIVE, DO WHAT EVER YOU CAN! Where is that choice? Where is the choice, LIFE IS GOOD? Where is the choice, I SERVED MY COUNTRY, NOW MY COUNTRY CAN SERVE ME! Where is there answer? Just look at some of the canned statement, how the hell can you answer this questionnaire if you are “confused all the time”? How can you answer if you “no longer recognize for family”? These are sick-sick questions. You can not legally draft a ‘will’ if you are not of sound mind, I ask how can you draft a ‘living will’ if you are in worse shape? I think there is something legally wrong with this book.
WSJ article The Death Book for Veterans by Jim Towey
If President Obama wants to better understand why America’s discomfort with end-of-life discussions threatens to derail his health-care reform, he might begin with his own Dept. of Veterans Affairs. He will quickly discover how government bureaucrats are greasing the slippery slope that can start with cost containment but quickly become a systematic denial of care….
Last year, bureaucrats at the VA’s National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, “Your Life, Your Choices.” It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA’s preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated “Your Life, Your Choices.”
Who is the primary author of this workbook? Dr. Robert Pearlman, chief of ethics evaluation for the center, a man who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide in Vacco v. Quill before the U.S. Supreme Court and is known for his support of health-care rationing.“Your Life, Your Choices” presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political “push poll.”…
I was not surprised to learn that the VA panel of experts that sought to update “Your Life, Your Choices” between 2007-2008 did not include any representatives of faith groups or disability rights advocates. And as you might guess, only one organization was listed in the new version as a resource on advance directives: the Hemlock Society (now euphemistically known as “Compassion and Choices”).
VA Version here.
VA Watchdog here.
More VA horror here
Negligence Suits Likely Over VA Procedures
Up to 11,000 U.S. veterans may have been mistakenly infected with HIV
Letters Mistakenly Inform [Veterans] of Fatal Disease
Millions in VA Bonuses Questioned
Veterans Affairs hospitals in shambles so let’s take it national.
Remember what I said aboutNational Health Care? Remember I said make the VA work then talk to me about National Health Care well…
VA Medical System in Shambles, Veterans Groups Say
With Veterans Affairs hospitals giving botched radiation treatments to nearly 100 vets and exposing 10,000 to HIV and hepatitis viruses, veterans advocates and lawmakers say the VA health system is in dire need of proper oversight and funding.
It’s not enough that illegal aliens (yea, I said ILLEGAL ALIENS) get better and cheaper health care than the veterans the Obama administration wants to make sure that everybody has crappy health care after all why should we only try to kill the veterans after they return from combat we should try and kill everybody.
And the loony left want National Health Care, please! The three people that are in charge of the VA are…
Gen. Eric Shinseki (Democrat) VA Secretary – Political Appointee
Bob Filner (D-CA) Chairman – House VA Committee
Daniel Akaka (D-HI) Chairman – Senate VA Committee
Yep three Democrats, lefty Democrats at that and you wonder why it sucks. I don’t.
REMEMBER YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Why you’re fat
In a little break from my normal political rants I thought I’d share this site I found with you on why you’re fat. After all it’s Memorial Day Weekend when we should take a few moments to remember those that gave all do insure your freedom that is now threatened by the loony left, many of us will be cooking out, having a few beers and stuffing our faces… so this is why you’re fat.
This like porn for fat people or those that just like to eat. I would be the latter.
Three stacks of bacon, sausage, elk meat, onions and cheese between tortillas all topped with sour cream, two fried eggs and scallions.
And it looks delicious! I’ll take two please!
This is one of 100′s of reason as to why your are fat and I’ll tell you I’ll be making some of these and some I already have.
Have a GREAT MEMORIAL DAY, be safe and please remember those that gave all. I myself have several in my family dating back the the Revolutionary War.
Do what?
Michelle Malkin has a great post today and says nearly everything I’d say and since I’ve been really busy here lately and haven’t had time to write any long post I’m going to keep it short tonight with a few thoughts.
You can say that again, Mr. President
President Barack Obama saluted veterans and urged his countrymen to do the same this Memorial Day weekend, saying the nation has not always paid them proper respect.
So who would that be? Would it be any of these Democrat people or groups?
Janet Napolitano?
Department of Homeland Security?
Harry Reid?
John Murtha?
Nancy Pelosi?
MoveOn.org?
Code Pink?
Chuck Schumer?
Liberal Ivy League Schools
San Francisco CA
Berkley CA
What about Barack Obama?
“We’ve got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we’re not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians,” said Obama.
So tell me Obama who has not shown veterans and the military proper respect? Republicans? Conservatives? Democrats? Liberals? I’d guess the latter two, wouldn’t you?
And one other thing Memorial Day is for fallen vets, not living ones that’s later in the year.
GE Propaganda
Have you heard the GE commercial on he radio where GE brags that they employ over 11,000 veterans and the GI Jobs Magazine as named them a top veteran friendly company? Have you heard it? They tend to play on Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity’s show, which has little choice in who advertises on the network, so anyway GE is promoting themselves as super veteran friendly. Well GE ranked 16th out of 50, but G.I. Jobs is not a military magazine in terms of a pure military magazine affiliated with a branch of the armed services. Leatherneck is a military magazine of the Marines, Stars and Strips is a military magazine of the Army, G.I Job’s which I’m sure is a fine magazine is a private for profit magazine just so you know.
Here is what GE’s website says…
From 2003 to 2008 G.I. Jobs Magazine has chosen GE as one of the most Military Friendly Employers, a recognition of all we do to employ and support active and veteran military personnel, and their families.
GE seems to think that being ranked 16th which is far from the top and far from the 3rd place slot that they held when first ranked is going to wash them of there liberal progressive sins of selling goods to Iran during the Iraq War, they can forgot it. Jeffery Immelt is a scum bag that has ran GE into the ground, traded during a time of war with a n enemy of the nation. So while I own some GE Profile appliances I bought them before Immelt was outed as person putting American troops in harms way during a time of war. I can assure you that I will not buy from any company ran or controlled by GE.
So don’t buy their propaganda folks, we are living in a age of propaganda and I’ve never seen it this bad in my life in these country.
ATTENTION VETERANS … you might have to pay for your health care.
Back atcha!
First. Everyone is blogging about AIG well I don’ care about AIG, that is just a government diversion away from the fact that they screwed up the bailout and now they’re running around trying to blame others for their screw up, ask Chris Dodd about the amendment to the bailout bill that allowed bonuses, after all didn’t AIG’s government appointed CEO “inherent” these bonuses? So anyway …
Attention vets! The military hating, nay loathing Obama thinks it’s a good idea for veterans to pay for they service related injuries. This is just un-freaking-believable that the Obama led government would charge veterans for service related injuries, all while members of congress and Obama himself and his family enjoy the absolute best health care plan in the world and we tax payers pay for it … and to top this off this idea is coming from a man that wants universal heath care for all. Tell you what Obama as soon as the millionaire congressman and your millionaire self give up your tax payer funded health care then you can nag some of the most underpaid members of our government, the boots on the ground. I swear this man is a total idiot … one has to wonder just who is operating the keys on his teleprompter.
Veterans Groups Blast Obama Plan for Private Insurance to Pay for Service-Related Health Care
The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President’s Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment
This is the Commander Offender and Chief of the US military and this is the thanks he give veterans? Some of whom have combat injuries, can you believe this? Really, can you? Young men and women join the military because they want to serve their country, I know I did – I serviced … I volunteered because I wanted to, not because I had too. So along come Obama and say hey you need to have private insurance and you need to pay for you own care, well Obama if they wanted to pay for their own service related care why in the hell would they need the VA?
Here and bit from the IAVA director,
“The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The plan would be an about-face on what veterans believe is a long-standing pledge to pay for health care costs that result from their military service. But in a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Obama to take the plan off the table. ‘Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans,’ said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. ‘If the president and the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] want to cut costs, they can start at AIG, not the VA.’”
Even if this never comes to fruition, even if this is DOA in congress just the idea that Obama though that is was a good idea to force veteran to pay for their combat/service related injuries is mind boggling.
But there is more to it and someone else beat me to the story, who beat me … Rush.
Now, there’s a companion story to this. Obama is thinking about making veterans foot the bill for their health care regarding injuries they received in combat. Here is the story from Bill McGurn in the Wall Street Journal. Apparently Michelle (My Belle) Obama, the first lady, went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “By choosing Fort Bragg for her first official trip outside the capital last Thursday, Michelle Obama signaled that she will use her position as First Lady to promote one of America’s most deserving causes: our military families. Plainly the families loved it. Just look at the smiles on those children as she read them ‘The Cat in the Hat.’ So it was just a little disconcerting the next morning to hear the First Lady explain how she came to this issue during last year’s campaign. ‘I think I was like most Americans,’ she told ABC News. ‘Pretty oblivious to the life of military families. Sort of taking it for granted.’” I just don’t believe this. She’s admitting she was oblivious to the life of military families, and then has the gall to tell the rest of us that so are we, when we are not oblivious to the lives of military families.
So while she’s out touring Fort Bragg, North Carolina, reading the Cat in the Hat to the children of military personnel and acting like all of a sudden she’s just now in the campaign. She’s just started to love her country in the campaign, she just started to be proud of her country and it was only during the campaign that she finally figured out what military family life is like while her husband is mulling eliminating government-paid health care benefits for wounds and injuries suffered in combat! I thought it was talk radio that was ginning up all this anger and angst and so forth. This is outrageous. It is disingenuous, and it is insulting, and I resent Mrs. Obama saying that she, her thoughts on military life, “Well, I’m like everybody else.” No, you’re not like everybody else. Your ideas and your plans and the anger you bring to your life, you’re not like everybody else, Mrs. Obama. Please don’t equate us with your view of aspects of this country.
I second that she like he husband are left-wing elitist so out of touch with everyday Americans it’s truly pathetic.
UPDATE: Wow even Super Liberal John “Leibowitz” Stewart thinks this is wrong. What is the world coming to?
Video: Jon Stewart rips Obama on wounded-vet policy
UPDATE II:
Obama Drops Controversial Health Care Plan for Wounded Veterans
