Excellent essay by our friend Bill Peace:
http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/HCR/Detail.aspx?id=5905
Stephen Kuusisto
Director
The Renee Crown University
Honors Program
University Professor
Syracuse University
Poet, Essayist, Blogger, Journalist, Memoirist, Disability Rights Advocate, Public Speaker, Professor, Syracuse University
To think that Mr. Peace might not have lived to write his essay — what a loss that would have been for all of us. Reading it, I was thinking that the denial of personhood begins the moment the doctor, gathering his full measure of authority about him, makes a statement, rather than asking a question, and entering into a discussion with the person about the person’s feelings regarding her or his condition and care needs.