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Lonny Shavelson Discusses Assisted Suicide.

Lonny Shavelson writes about five people who were considering assisted suicide. His book A Chosen Death: The Dying Confront Assisted Suicide explores the agonizing dilemma that family and friends must face in deciding whether to assist. Shavelson argues in favor of legalized Physician-assisted suicide. Shavelson is a writer, photojournalist and emergency-room physician living in Berkeley, California. A Chosen Death is published by Simon and Shuster 1995.

22:42
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Other segments from the episode on August 22, 1995

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, August 22, 1995: Interview with Lonny Shavelson; Interview with Reg Theriault; Commentary on Mable John.
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13:30

Reg Theriault Discusses Work.

Former longshoreman and Vice President of the Union local, Reg Theriault . For over 30 years he worked on the piers in San Francisco, where he watched automation take over the industry, and break up the gangs who worked together. Before that Theriault worked as a "fruit tramp" with his family. He has written a new book about work, How to Tell When You're Tired (Norton).

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06:27

A Retrospective of Mable John's Career.

Rock Historian Ed Ward highlights the music of singer Mable John. She hit the black radio top ten chart in the 1960s with her song "Your Good Thing." Her music never caught on and not surprisingly most of her material never was released by Stax Records. But in 1993, Fantasy Records, assembled her music and released what turns out to be her first album.

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30:58

Oncologist Peter Rasmussen

Five years ago, Oregon voters passed into law the Death with Dignity Act, legalizing physician-assisted suicide. We talk with oncologist Peter Rasmussen of Salem, Ore., who has prescribed lethal doses of medication for dying patients.

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09:15

Dr. Paul Stull

Last fall, Attorney General John Ashcroft challenged the Death with Dignity Act using the Controlled Substances Act. A federal judge blocked enforcement of Ashcrofts order, and is expected to rule on it sometime this month. We talk with palliative care consultant, Dr. Paul Stull, of Astoria, Ore., who opposes physician-assisted suicide.

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