It's a documentary about a man facing some health issues who decides to commit suicide - his video message to his family (but not the suicide) is on tape.
quote:Some worry that declaring some suicides rational will feed prejudices against people with disabilities.
"Anybody who wants to kill themselves, by definition, is saying their life has no value to them," says Stephen Drake, research analyst for Not Dead Yet, a disability rights organization opposed to assisted suicide. "If we are saying they are rational, then we're agreeing."
Not Dead Yet, based in Forest Park, Ill., criticizes the film and its timing, which coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. PBS says the timing was coincidental.
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Coolness abounds. Maybe NBC caught wind of the little faux pas at PBS and maybe thought they could outshine PBS for a night - at least when it comes to disability issues.
A good friend of mine is appearing on NBC Nightly News tonight! July 26! Not sure yet if it's taped or live. But it's about accessibility and how far we have or haven't come on this 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Mike Ervin is a long-time disability activist, and co-founder of "Jerry's Orphans," a group of people with conditions related to MDA that protest the pity approach of the telethon. He is also a journalist, essayist, and playwright.
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to PBS on timing, especially since they've generally ignored the anniversary of the ADA. But that is true for most of the media.
