Living Will or Advance Directive

One of the biggest issues that is coming under fire with the proposed healthcare reform legislation is the living will or advance directive for all citizens of the United States. Mind you, this has been backed by the US Government for twenty plus years and surprisingly by many folks on the right side of the political spectrum.

Currently, we have Rush Limbaugh of EIB fame ranting on and on against “Death Panels” which is how he defines a living will or advance directive. Then we have Newt Gingrich declaring that Americans will be euthanized because some states allow it. And then there is former Governor Sarah Palin going on her soap box to declare that “Death Panels” will ration medicine or kill Grammy and Grandpa.

What makes no sense is that each one of these same folks was for it before it became part of the discussion to fix America’s healthcare system. Each one of them is pulling a John Kerry “I was for it before I was against it” sort of move.

Where you have a living will to give medical directions aka advance directions on steps to be taken to care for you in your last days on this earth. Things like, don’t feed me through a tube, don’t let machines keep me alive, and by all means, do not resuscitate (DNR) if you go into cardiac arrest.

Check out the “I was for it before I was against it” video from MSNBC and Rachel Maddow…

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It’s very interesting how quickly politics plays into this healthcare issue. I can understand Rush Limbaugh flipping opinion for a dollar but you know that Gingrich and Palin are towing party politics to stir up the base even though they were “For It before they were against It”.

Papamoka