Compassion & Choices of Washington has announced that Derek Humphry will be the keynote speaker at its 2011 annual meeting.[1]
Derek Humphry has recently been in the news as a promoter of suicide kits from a company now shut down by the FBI. According to an article in Oregon's Register-Guard newspaper:
- "A spotlight was cast on the mail-order suicide kit business after a 29-year-old Eugene man committed suicide in December using a helium hood kit. The Register-Guard traced the $60 kit to [the company, which] has no website and does no advertising; clients find [the] address through the writings of Humphry."[2]
With the choice of Humphry as its keynote speaker, Compassion & Choices shows its true colors?
* * *
[1] See current newsletter for Compassion & Choices of Washington, stating : "Derek Humphry to be Keynote Speaker at 2011 Annual Meeting." To view the newsletter, go to the following link and scroll down to the lower half of the page: http://choiceisanillusion.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/derek.pdf [2] See e.g., Jack Moran, "Police kick in door in confusion over suicide kit: The FBI message to police about the purchase of the gear failed to mention it was bought seven months ago, " The Register-Guard, September 21, 2011.