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<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="This_Month">September 2009
</h2>
Sep 13: <b>“End of Life Ethics” </b>
by Lawrence Egbert, M.D., Medical Director, Final Exit Network
<dl>
<dd>
<p>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.<br>
<br>
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.
</p>
<p>
<b>Lawrence (Larry) Egbert </b>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.</p>
</dd>
<dt>Sep 20: <b>“Updating the Enlightenment”
</b> by Stewart Jordan, Ph.D., Humanist, Scientist </dt>
</dl>
<blockquote>
<dl>
<li>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. </li>
<li><br>
</li>
<li>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. </li>
<li><br>
</li>
<li><b>Stuart Jordan</b> 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.</li>
</dl>
</blockquote>
Sep 27: <b>“News as Gleefully Packaged Anxiety”
</b> by Djelloul Marbrook, Journalist, Editor, Author
<dl>
<dd>
<p>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. </p>
<p>
<b>Djelloul (jeh-lool) Marbrook,</b> 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.</p>
</dd>
</dl>
<br>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a id="OtherSep09Events">Other
September 2009 Activities </a></h2>
Sun. Sep 13 <b>MOVABLE TREATS</b><br>
<dl>
<dd>
<p><b>Let’s start of the new meeting year with a great collection
of treats!</b>
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. </p>
<p><b>
Moveable Feast
</b> 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.
</p>
<p></p>
</dd>
<dt>Sun. Sep 13, 9:30 am <b> Poetry Group </b>
</dt>
<dd>
<p>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
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:poet@BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org">poet@BaltimoreEthicalSociety.org</a>
</p>
</dd>
<dt>Sun. Sep 13, 12:30 pm: <b>Board Meeting</b> Members invited.<br>
<br>
Sun. Sep 20, 9:00 am: <b>Ethical Action Breakfast</b>
</dt>
<dd>
<p><b>
The Ethical Action Committee</b> 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).
</p>
<p>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. </p>
</dd>
<dt>Fri - Sun Sep 25 - 27 Visit Our Booth at the Baltimore Book
Festival<br>
</dt>
<dt><br>
</dt>
<dt>Sun. Sep 27, 12:30 pm: <b>Newcomers' Meeting</b>
</dt>
<dd>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.<br>
<br>
</dd>
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