[BES Friends] September at BES

[Stephen Meskin]

    September 2009

Sep 13: *"End of Life Ethics" * by Lawrence Egbert, M.D., Medical 
Director, Final Exit Network

    The Final Exit Network is a volunteer non-profit educational
    organization that serves people who are suffering from an
    irreversible illness which is more than they can bear. The
    organization offers information so they can, if and when they
    choose, end their suffering. It also provides guides who give
    comfort and counseling, but does not physically assist in any manner.

    On February 25th, 2009, Dr Egbert and three others from Final Exit
    Network were arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and
    charged with assisting a suicide. He was arrested again on May 26,
    2009 by Maricopa County, Arizona authorities and charged with
    "conspiracy to commit manslaughter" because as Medical Director of
    FEN he oversees the acceptance or rejection of all member applicants
    for services. Dr. Egbert is staunchly dedicated to the last human
    right a person may choose; the right to die.

    *Lawrence (Larry) Egbert *is an anesthesiologist and has been a
    visiting Assistant Professor at johns Hopkins University School of
    Medicine since 2001 and a member of the undergraduate campus' Health
    Pre-professions Committee form 2002---2008. He is a supported of
    Doctors Without Borders (about which he spoke at BES some years
    ago), Physicians for Human Rights, and Physicians for Social
    Responsibility. He is a member of First Unitarian Church of Baltimore.

Sep 20: *"Updating the Enlightenment" * by Stewart Jordan, Ph.D., 
Humanist, Scientist 

  # The Western philosophers and well educated political leaders of the
    17th and 18th centuries developed one of the most profound and
    optimistic visions for the future of humanity ever conceived
    anywhere, it became known as the Enlightenment. The past two
    centuries have challenged this Enlightenment vision, and many in
    this country today have reintroduced a more gloomy, otherworldly
    out-look disturbingly similar in some ways to the cynical thinking
    that developed during the decline of the historical Roman Empire. 
  #

  # This talk will argue that turning backward in time is the worst
    mistake people who are setting high-level policies could possibly
    make. The talk will make a simple case for two claims: The first
    claim is a) that the basic goal of the historical Enlightenment
    remains sound because of two things ... the strong "will to live and
    to thrive" that is built into the human genome, and b) the fact that
    science works in determining how the natural order works, and that
    ancient myths and dogmas do not. The second claim is that we must
    consciously adapt to what the past two centuries should be teaching
    us that universal public education take time, requiring patience and
    courage of a kind one sees too seldom in this society today, where
    Americans have been conditioned to want all good things NOW. Thus
    the Enlightenment needs to be updated. 
  #

  # *Stuart Jordan* is a retired Emeritus senior staff scientist at
    NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He has been a leader in the
    mid-Atlantic secular humanist community for two decades and is
    presently the science advisor to the Center for Inquiry Office of
    Public Policy in Washington, which recently on July 17 presented at
    the National Press Club their vetting of a U.S. Senate list of
    global warming skeptics that proved to be comprised primarily of
    individuals with little or no background in climate science. He
    holds a Ph. D. in physics and astrophysics, and conducted
    independent studies at Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship.

Sep 27: *"News as Gleefully Packaged Anxiety" * by Djelloul Marbrook, 
Journalist, Editor, Author

    During this talk Djelloul Marbrook, a veteran news executive, will
    make the case that the real news in our society is not what we think
    it is, but is in fact our poetry and art, because it is in poetry
    and art that the cultural and intellectual envelope is being pushed
    and defining our experience as a civilization. In a corollary vein
    he will explain why the quality of journalism has deteriorated,
    stating that we do not have, as is much vaunted, a free press, but
    rather a commercially censored press that is utterly beholden to the
    same corporate interests that hold our government in thrall.

    *Djelloul (jeh-lool) Marbrook,* is the author of Far From Algiers, a
    book of poems that won the Stan and Tom Wick Prize for Poetry and
    was published by Kent State University Press last year. His short
    story, Artists Hill, won the 2008 first prize in fiction from the
    magazine Literal Latté. His poems have been published in The
    American Poetry Review, Oberon, Reed, The Ledge, The Same and a
    number of other journals. Mr. Marbrook is a professional newspaper
    reporter, editor and executive. He maintains a popular blog about
    culture, journalism, art and literature. He has worked for such
    major news organizations as The Providence Journal, Gannett, The
    Baltimore Sun, The Winston-Salem Journal, The Washington Star
    and MediaNews. Now retired, he lives with his wife in Columbia
    County, New York.


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    Other September 2009 Activities

Sun. Sep 13 *MOVABLE TREATS*

    *Let's start of the new meeting year with a great collection of
    treats!* Bring in desserts for Moveable Feast, which serves people
    with AIDS and breast cancer. Remember to wrap your desserts in
    serving size portions and label them. Mark your desserts if they
    contain nuts. Avoid desserts that have heavy icings or that contain
    alcohol.

    * Moveable Feast * is a 501(c) (3) charitable nutritional support
    organization that prepares and delivers meals and groceries at no
    charge to people and their families throughout greater Baltimore and
    Maryland's Eastern Shore who are in need and living with HIV/AIDS
    and other life-challenging conditions. All donations are tax
    deductible as allowable by law.

Sun. Sep 13, 9:30 am * Poetry Group *

    Not a morning person? The poetry and conversation are worth waking
    up early for! Facilitated by Karla, BES' "poet in residence". Bring
    poems by others or yourself. Want to join in? Contact
    poet at BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org

Sun. Sep 13, 12:30 pm: *Board Meeting* Members invited.

Sun. Sep 20, 9:00 am: *Ethical Action Breakfast*

    * The Ethical Action Committee* is starting to plan a forum about
    health care (from an ethical perspective). If you'd like to help
    with planning it, contact Ben Busby ASAP: Ben dot Busby at gmail dot
    com (without spaces and with the actual punctuation marks and at sign).

    Monthly Ethical Action Breakfasts resume this Sunday. Bring a $5
    contribution and be prepared to eat, listen, and plan how we can put
    our ethics into action.

Fri - Sun Sep 25 - 27 Visit Our Booth at the Baltimore Book Festival

Sun. Sep 27, 12:30 pm: *Newcomers' Meeting*
    New to the Society and interested in learning more? Attended a
    meeting or two? Thinking about joining? Come to the Newcomers'
    Meeting, and learn more about Ethical Culture and about our Society
    --- its history, its philosophy, and its organization. Meetings last
    about one hour.

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