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Article: "Allow natural death"--not so fast.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
- Article from:
- The Hastings Center Report
- Article date:
- September 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Hastings Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To the Editor: The movement to substitute "allow natural death" (AND) terminology for "do not resuscitate" (DNR) terminology is apparently gaining support in medical institutions (Richard W. Cohen, "A Tale of Two Conversations," May-June 2004). Despite the laudable goals and ultimate promise of this movement, there are reasons to proceed cautiously.
First, changing terminology in order to change attitudes is usually effective only for a limited time. The evolution of terms for persons living with a difference in ability illustrates this tendency. "Crippled" and "handicapped" were not always heard as offensive terms. Rather, they were themselves at one time ...