RE: Death with Dignity/Jeff

November 1, 2008

Jeff:

I always respect and aprreciate your thoughts! Thanks for weighing in

I-1000.

I am NOT for forcing anyone! Many do NOT understand that their lifestyle

impacts their physical health! Most people have the understanding that

their genetics matter and little or nothing else! I find it amazing that a

group into health is often for I-1000!?! Currently killing yourself is NOT

legal. I-1000 makes it legal. Making killing yourself legal only decreases

the chance of anyone changing their lifestyle. Again, TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE

A RIGHT!

Live strong & long!

Jim

On Behalf Of Jeff Rogers

Saturday, November 01, 2008 10:58 AM

Re: Death with Dignity

After a couple of very busy days, I'll try to catch up on some of

these emails.

It's true that many of us recognize that there are consequences to our

dietary choices. We also may realize that there will be consequences

to our present choices, even if we are eating considerably better than

we used to. I recognize clearly, like Nora suggested, that I cannot

force others to change their diets. While that may, somehow, be

possible, it would not likely invite lifestyle changes. In a forced

situation, some may recognize that they feel better, but it would not

likely be a calm and friendly interaction. It may cause resentment and

a renewed resolve to eat poorly.

Here's a thought: If we do not forbid people from consuming toxic

" food " , then why would we forbid them from consuming more toxic food

(in the form of pills or injections)? I recognize " foods " of my past

were toxic; they included toxins or were in forms that were toxic or

had toxic effects on my body. I was allowed to consume those popular

" foods " and learned from my experiences. Others may not learn from

their diet and health experiences in the same way. Perhaps they do

learn from those experiences, but choose to ignore the consequences or

are addicted to the " foods " (which is a whole other issue - should

people intervene addictions?). When they get to the point of severe

chronic disease after decades of toxic " foods " and they suffer greatly

from the resulting symptoms, do we have the right to intervene and say

they cannot consume a more toxic food to end their life and they can

only be allowed to continue eating toxic foods and can continue

consuming the concentrated toxic foods (medications) that they are

currently consuming? We may recognize these health issues may be

reversible, but the medical establishment and pharmaceutical industry

seem to have no understanding (or wish not to admit it) of diet and

nutrition, as well as true health. Patients may be supported in their

causing their own disease with a handshake, pat on the back, and a hug

(along with a whopping medical bill). They may feel cared for and they

are not told they have to stop eating their favorite foods.

If my own relatives were in that situation of chronic horrible pain

and have received an inevitable death sentence, while I would not

likely make that choice for them, after decades of them choosing a

toxic lifestyle - with absolutely NO interest in changing - I

recognize they are masters of their lives, they make their choices,

and they pay any consequences. I choose my battles. I'm not interested

in banning alcohol, cooked food, animal products, artificial

ingredients, etc., etc., though I do wish to do my part to help

educate people. While I do not wish to encourage the behavior of

prescribing lethal doses, do I have the right to decide other's

choices? It may not be about right vs. wrong, but rather who gets to

make that right or wrong choice.

If people are suffering and have been diagnosed with expected death

within 6 months and want out now, I'd like the option to be this:

Remove ALL medications, and give them only pure water (maybe fresh raw

organic vegetable juices). They may think that would hasten death, but

after water fasting for a while, we may see some interesting changes.

Fasting may be overwhelming to some toxic bodies, but it would be more

natural than lethal dose.

If people want us to limit the choice to consume (via pill or

injection, etc.) toxic poison, then perhaps we really should ban toxic

" foods " that create disease. If they want limitation, let's give it to

them!(?)

Jeff

November 1, 2008

> I find it amazing that a

> group into health is often for I-1000!?!

If you are referring to those in the health field who watch people

suffer and die, they may not know any better regarding diet and

nutrition and may consider their choice to support the proposition

compassionate. (BTW, aren't medical groups who are against I-1000 in a

conflict of interest?)

If you are referring to groups like raw foodists, I remind you it

doesn't mean they choose death. It may mean they choose not to judge

and realize they are in absolutely no position to decide for others. I

know that I am in absolutely no position to judge those in hospital

beds and am in no position to make decisions for them and their

families and friends.

> Again, TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE

> A RIGHT!

I understand your view. I choose to let those people with their

families and friends to make that choice. It is not my place to judge

them as wrong or right. God is their judge (IMO) and is in a much

better position to judge than me. I certainly wouldn't want to be

judged for being the vote that, basically, required people's agony and

suffering to be prolonged (even if food choices could have prevented

or " cured " it). Again... not my place to judge.

I realize that if one of my own family was in that position and wanted

that option, but could not have it, they (the ones wanting that

option) would likely continue taking their poison in small doses and

would prolong/continue their suffering. If they had gotten to that

point, we likely would have already had conversations about healthful

eating and living.

Is it wrong for the medical profession to not give their patients the

information to reverse their disease? (I believe so.) Is it wrong to

require terminally ill patients to continue agony and suffering,

against their will? (Perhaps) If so, that would be two wrongs!

I appreciate our members sharing their views to help others come to

grips with this issue and make a decision. Let's let them make their

choice and see what the state decides. Unfortunately, (I suspect) by

far, most of the voters are likely unaware of optimal health and

nutrition (not that I/we know everything, but we are thinking outside

some big boxes!).

Jeff

November 1, 2008

Hi Everyone,

This is a very touchy subject indeed! From what I am able to gather, Jim, you

are a very passionate man who has achieved a level of great health and energy

through eating a raw food diet. You stumbled across a 'secret' to a long and

healthy life 30 some years ago, and life probably just seems to get better every

year. I am sure if you could scream about this great opportunity for health

from the roof tops - and have people listen to you - you would in a heart beat!

Alas, this great health opportunity seems to be for those of us who have woken

up, who are free thinkers, and who are willing to do whatever it takes to be

healthy and live a long life. Out of all the people that try the raw food diet,

how many are able to keep it up after one year? Two years? I'll tell you,

according to one study (probably the only study) it's less than 2%. I was one

of those people that made it - actually made it 3.5 years eating 100% raw vegan

food. And

here is why I will be voting yes on I-1000. (bear with me)

In September of 2003, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. My Naturopathic

doctor who diagnosed me delivered the news on the 11th of September, actually.

She wanted me in for surgery the next week. I knew that once I had it out,

there was no turning back. I would be dependent on medication for the rest of

my life. Being a holistic thinking person, I knew that ripping an organ from my

body wasn't going to solve the issue at it's deepest level. For the next couple

months I cried, and I searched for an alternative, and cried some more. Then a

friend of a friend told me about Raw Food. I embarked on my raw food journey

January of '04. After my first cleanse, the node on my thyroid could no longer

be seen to the naked eye. But it was not gone. I continued eating raw food for

the next year and a half and no change in the size. It wasn't getting bigger

and it wasn't getting smaller. I had a few readings from different healers and

they

all said there was huge emotional issues around healing my body. It's not

always just about the toxins in our food, sometimes it's the toxic emotions in

our body, too. After about a year and a half, I started sharing wine with

friends - which was too acidic for my body (DUH!). After a few years of eating

raw - life provided a few ... eh hemm ... growth experiences that I didn't react

to very well and drinking wine became an almost daily thing. The cancerous node

might have gotten a little bigger. So, about a year ago, I started eating

cooked food again, and all of a sudden I realized I didn't even want anything

raw anymore. I was back to my old SAD diet, back to the heavy weight, and even

heavier emotions. Now the node has definitely gotten bigger, you can see a

little lump on my throat again. I never in a million years thought I would end

up, back in this position. Today, I have been raw again since October 9th, I am

doing a

cleanse and am back on track with the same stubborn and

passionate determination of January '04. I learned from the raw mistakes I've

made and am approaching it in a different way this time.

I realize that most of us here are glass-half-full kinds of people. We are

willing to take risks, go against the grain, question the reality that most of

our media, medical and political leaders try to spoon feed us. But, quite

frankly, we are few and far between. I feel it is malicious punishment to say,

'you've made your choice, now lie in it' ... lie in agonizing pain, with tubes

sticking out of you, praying for death to take over the body. It is a cruel

punishment that may scar our souls forever - both dying in such agonizing pain,

and watching a loved one go that way.

It's been about 10 years since I lost an Aunt to cancer. She was kind of a

second mom to me. She left behind two little girls and my uncle. I was just

discovering that our emotions played a big role in our health. I remember

suggesting to her and my uncle that maybe chemotherapy wasn't the way to go.

That we had Bastyr nestled in our backyard and that there were so many

naturopathic ways to treat cancer. They said that they trusted their allopathic

doctors. It was one of the most disheartening conversations I have ever had.

We watched for 5 years as the doctors cut and mutilated her body. The tumor was

in her left thigh. The first round of chemo lasted 8 months. My son had just

been born and my Mom, sister and I would take him in to visit almost daily when

she was in the hospital. She loved babies so much, it really lit up her

miserable days. They did radiation after the chemo. Then itumor had shrunk

enough they decided to

operate. Turns out it was wrapped across the major artery that takes the blood

up from your leg. They had to cut it off and solder both ends of the artery so

it would no longer work. After a year they had to take her leg, cause it was

dying. She was told she was in remission eventually, only to be told a year

later the cancer was back. She had two open chest surgeries for some reason I

don't recall. On the second they were inspecting her lungs and found too many

tumors to count. She was pronounced terminal. She chose not to do any more

chemo for the last months of her life. The last time I saw her she had tumors

all over her body. I was playing with her hair, and rubbing her shoulders and

there were little lumps everywhere. Towards the end I called to say goodbye and

heard her in the background screaming in pain. Even with the legal amount of

morphine her father (who was a doctor) was administering, her pain was

inconsolable. After two weeks of extreme agony she finally slipped into a coma

and died. Such a beautiful and strong woman to die in such a cruel way. This

is an all too familiar story in today's society. Isn't the statistic that 1 out

of every 2 people will be diagnosed with Cancer these days?

A few weeks before my cancer diagnoses, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 0

Breast Cancer. She elected to have her left breast removed and actually didn't

need any follow-up chemo - thank godd! She was not happy that I chose food to

be my medicine, putting more faith in Western Medicine herself. A few months

into my raw food journey, my mother and I had a conversation about health and

the choices we both made. She screamed to me, with fire and venom dripping off

each word, " I will NEVER eat the RAW FOOD diet, even if it would save my life!

NEVER! " To say the least, I was quite shocked. I ended the conversation with a

smile and a hug, knowing that some day, I would have to watch my mother die.

But, it's her choice to go how she wants to and live how she wants to die. And

I hope, when that day comes, she doesn't have to suffer. My father has smoked

for almost 50 years. He's tried to quit, but just can't for whatever reasons.

He

is at a huge risk for lung cancer, one of the most painful ways to die.

I have to agree, Jim, that it would be a wonderful world if people could at

least be offered the choice of Living foods, or Chemotherapy. It's not a pipe

dream to think that this might happen someday. But this type of opportunity is

not on the table right now ... it's ... " pie in the sky " . The Raw Food Diet is

becoming more and more popular as restaurants pop up here and there, books and

articles are written, shows like " Ellen " , " Oprah " , and " Bizarre Foods " have

segments regarding raw food. And, as people like you Jim, and Nora, and Shari,

and Jeff, and all the other people out there leading by example and talking to

anyone with ears to hear, eventually we will reach critical mass.

Eventually Raw Food won't be that " weird diet for weirdo's " , such as

Vegetarianism and Veganism was decades ago.

So, for those people - like my mother and my aunt, and Shari's mother-in-law,

and the gentleman suffering from Multiple Sclerosis I used to make 3 raw meals a

day for and he still chose to eat SAD snacks because it 'was too hard', and the

countless other people who won't accept something as simple as alkalizing the

body to cure disease, to live an impassioned life full of joy, clear thinking,

and true health ... for those people I DO wish them the easy way out, if that is

what they choose. It's their choice, not mine. I wish them to close their eyes

and pass away with a smile on their face, with dignity. It's just death, after

all.

Namaste,

Paula

________________________________

" health " <health

Saturday, November 1, 2008 1:37:13 PM