Who's laughing now?

Years back when obamacare was first introduced, there were claims that death panels would soon spring up.  As claimed by the GOP and other politicians, it was claimed that such death panels would have the power to determine who lived or died.  Of course, those pushing for obamacare poo pooed the idea as preposterous and so out in "left" field as to not warrant comment.

Seems the GOP and other politicians weren't so out in "left" field.  In 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the End of Life Option Act.  What this act does is change California Health & Safety Code Section 443 et seq to include provisions to allow persons to be prescribed drugs by doctors to help end their life (i.e. state sanctioned, legal-assisted suicide) in instances where said persons are terminally ill.  As Gov. Brown noted:

In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death.  I don't know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain.  I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to consider the options afforded by this bill.  And I wouldn't deny that right to others.

What a load of....  Have you EVER heard of a single instance where government has acted altruistically?!  It's always about money.  The only way to get government off your back is to sue them for lots and LOTS of money.  The only thing government understands (and knows what to do) is spending YOUR money.  

Of course, all of this talk of death and dying reminds me of that scene in Soylent Green where people tired of living go to end their life (and have their bodies dumped in a vat to be turned into food for the living).  In the case of the End of Life Option Act, I have no doubt but that insurance companies were begging to get this bill passed spending millions in political kickbacks (so that they don't have to pay for sick people anymore).  

In fact, this bill was created in a "special" session and that it will be California taxpayers who will be paying for the "prescription" drugs (to the tune of anywhere from $400 to $5,000) to pay to terminate the lives of people we no longer want to take care of.  Yep, that's the kind of government intervention that I've come to expect from career politicians.

While I am ever cynical on the motives of government, that does not mean you should be or should allow yourselves to live in denial.  Best thing you can do, then, is bone up on this new End of Life Option Act (California is the 5th state to adopt such a law) so that you don't let someone else determine whether (or when) you go gently into that good night.