Dem lawmaker proposes euthanizing the disabled

[KamaAina]

Not Borowitz, but a rather tasteless attempt at satire by a New Hampshire legislator.

http://www.theamericanmirror.com/dem-lawmaker-proposes-euthanizing-the-disabled/

Adolf Hitler, call your office!

New Hampshire state Rep. Michael Cahill thinks if his Republican colleagues are unwilling to raise taxes, the state should consider offing the liabilities in society.

“Since we are refusing to raise revenues to fund needed programs, to fund services to disabled, for example, have you looked at euthanasia?” asked Cahill, a Democrat, during a legislative debate on the budget Wednesday.

House Speaker Shawn Jasper quickly called Cahill out of order and called his comments “inappropriate.”

To put it mildly. The Netherlands and Belgium are, in fact, looking at euthanizing disabled people.

[Takket]

1. was he being sarcastic?

Like, it sounds to me that he's saying, "If you GOPers won't help us take care of the disabled, should we just put them to death?"

[KamaAina]

7. Pretty much.

But it rang harshly in the ears of people with disabilities who worry that one day they might be serious.

[haele]

8. Yup, he's telling them to take responsiblity for their actions.

Rather Swiftian, but to the point.
If you aren't going to pay for social services, then you have to deal with the aftermath. Too many people like to think of the "good old days" in the golden era, and have no clue about how it really was; when people - especially the elderly and children - would die of starvation or preventable diseases in solitary shelters on their hardscrabble farms; ignored (often for years) until someone finally came by and found their bodies. Or they would die of starvation, exposure or self-medication on the streets of larger towns and cities, bodies picked up almost daily in the alleys and tenement in the larger cities.

Haele

[eShirl]

2. Euthanasia might be more humane than starving us to death or denying us health care.

He was trying to shame the miserly rich and their lick-spittle pet legislators.

[Trillo]

12. Consider someone who just became disabled.

They were walking to the store, and an elderly person driving a car thought they were stepping on the brake but instead stepped on the gas, and pinned the victim between the car and the building. The person walking lost both legs.

Now a democratic legislator wants to euthanize the victim? Seems like voluntary euthanasia would be more reflective of a free society, mandatory euthanasia that of a police state.

I guess I can see how the shame attempt may have worked. The U.S. police state run by the wealthy.

[fredamae]

3. How? With Gas? Firing Squad?

Hanging? "Cliff Tossing"?

[olddots]

4. excuse me are you aware of the source ???????

[KamaAina]

10. M$M link here

http://www.wptz.com/news/rep-irked-by-cuts-mockingly-suggests-euthanasia-for-disabled/32177552

[Luminous Animal]

5. I see nothing wrong with his comment and the headline reveals purposeful idiocy.

[loyalsister]

6. I didn't know that about the Netherlands and Belgium

This is why disability history and particularly the history of the eugenics movement are so important!

[djean111]

9. He was being sarcastic, and was pointing out just how the GOP really feels about the disabled.

What would have been really interesting is if we could read exactly how the GOP would have answered that question.
The headline is misleading as to the intent of the Democrat, IMO.

[malthaussen]

11. Somewhere Jonathan Swift is smiling.

But not from pleasure. It's funny how some modest proposals keep coming around and around.

The solution Alexander of Macedon is said to have applied to the Gordian knot will always have its advocates, ironic or not.

-- Mal

[RedCappedBandit]

13. Not tasteless at all. He's absolutely right.

The right wing wants to cut public services left and right. What the fuck do they propose to do for the people who rely on them?

[cali]

14. Your title is misleading. Really, he was doing the opposite. And it's no more "tasteless"

than Swift proposing eating Irish children. It's satire.

[GeorgeGist]

15. Jonathan Swift

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled ...”

[shraby]

16. Fix your title, it's misleading as hell. It sends the wrong message out to people.

[KamaAina]

17. It's their title

I'm pretty sure it's too late anyway.

[shraby]

18. If it's not LBN, which I see it's not, make your own title that's more accurate as to what

was said. Doesn't hurt to be more honest.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. What a toweringly dishonest article.

It's exploitative and mendacious right to life crap wrapped up as disability rights. This act is getting old.

[Liberal Lolita]

20. A relative posted a similar article on Facebook

Of course it was reported like he was serious, and left out that it was in response to a budget that negatively effects the disabled. I tried to explain to her that it was sarcasm directed at cuts that would endanger, or possibly cause the deaths of disabled persons.
She is a dyed in the wool conservative, and wanted to hear nothing of it, so I dropped it.
I just hope others looking at her post see my response before they jump to conclusions. I'm not counting on it, as the lack of critical thinking skills by some people is appalling.