Wesley J. Smith

Ah, the power of good lawyers and public scrutiny. After going to court, attorney Jerri Ward, attorney for Baby Emilio’s mother, just informed me that the Children’s Hospital of Austin has agreed not to remove life support until April 10. And good for the people at the hospital for being . . . . Continue Reading »

Should a hospital ethics committee be empowered to decide in secret to withdraw wanted life-sustaining treatment? This is the heart of what I call Futile Care Theory, a.k.a, medical futility, which is being quietly pushed into official policy throughout the country by the mainstream bioethics . . . . Continue Reading »

I have long believed that many animal liberationists don’t love animals. They just hate people. Evidence of this is to be found in this story about a polar bear cub that was saved from dying in the wild and brought to the Berlin Zoo. Rather than have the cub live in captivity, liberationists . . . . Continue Reading »

Mark Steyn does not generally write about matters of concern here at Secondhand Smoke, but today he focused on the legacy of William Wilberforce, the great British abolitionist. I truly believe in the power of committed individuals to improve the human condition. Wilberforce proved the point. . . . . Continue Reading »

We need to see more of this kind of anti-slavery action all around the world. From the story in the Telegraph: Last night, Mr Reid said: “In 1807 the slave trade was rightly abolished in this country. We now face a modern version of this despicable trade in the vile crime of human trafficking, . . . . Continue Reading »

I have been reading The Seventeen Traditions, Ralph Nader’s autobiographical reflection on his parents, siblings, and upbringing. I know Ralph’s family pretty well. His sisters are as formidable as he is and his nieces and nephew are just as impressive, and so I find the read doubly . . . . Continue Reading »

The California HealthCare Foundation has issued an important report revealing that minorities receive much less effective end-of-life and palliative care than do whites. This study is important in its own right, but let us contemplate what it means in the context of A.B. 374, the bill that would . . . . Continue Reading »

Bioethicists Art Caplan and Michael A. Devita have written an important column warning against plans that are afoot to increase the organ supply, but which if enacted, would instead be more likely to undermine the already thin crust of trust the people have in the organ procurement system. . . . . Continue Reading »

A federal court has ruled against finding a constitutional right to take medical marijuna. That is the right decision. But I think the Feds have missed an important bet on this issue. When the Controlled Substances Act was enacted, marijuana was explicitly defined as having no legitimate medical . . . . Continue Reading »

This story reveals an awful lot about the current state of Chinese society. A paralyzed woman wants euthanasia because she wants to die before her parents. Here’s why: “I must die before my parents; otherwise I will live a miserable life after their pass-away — dirty, stinking, and . . . . Continue Reading »