The Right to assisted suicide

Hi All,

I was so moved by Fred's recent e-mail post containing the story of Tod Fletcher. It seems to be one of our most important rights - the right to commit suicide and the right to help someone else commit suicicde who has clearly thought it through and can not do the job for themselves. Dr. Kavorkian was a hero in my opinion.

I suppose many of you already saw this post, but I feel the need to share this, to know there are others out there who feel the sorrow I feel at such a tragic loss.

-Wendy

Dear friends,

Most subscribers to this list will recognize the name Tod Fletcher from the weekly news summaries we send out. I'm very sad to inform you that Tod is no longer with us.

Though I found the news articles each week (with help from many supporters) and chose the ones to be summarized, Tod did the summarizing on these articles for many years. He did great work with PEERS and WantToKnow.info from 2007 until his recent death. He was also a dedicated researcher and advocate for bringing the truth out on the tragic events of 9/11.

Tod's wife Susan had major struggles with severe chronic fatigue syndrome and numerous hypersensitivities for nearly three decades, to the point that she was bed-ridden much of that time. Her pain and suffering was such that she contemplated suicide several times. She even attempted it once about 10 years ago, saved only when Tod found her and rushed her to the emergency room. The two were very close, and Tod spent much of his time caring for her.

Below is the letter I received in the from Tod on September 30th. It was dated Sept. 28, 2014.

Dear Fred,

Susan has reached the point at which she requires release, and as she can't effect this herself, I must help her, as I promised her long ago I would do.

But helping her will make me a criminal in deed as well as thought, and I don't expect I'd be fairly or mercifully treated. So I am going to accompany Susan to the world beyond. By the time you read this, we will have made our passage.

I am indeed sorry for the difficulties this will make for you. I never intended to give you little "notice" should I quit, but Susan's sudden worsening was beyond my control.

I don't need, I imagine, to say what a great pleasure and privilege it was to work with you all these years. Nor to say, be happy for us, for we are at peace at last.

Our love to you,
Tod and Susan

I was shocked to receive this letter. I made some calls to the authorities a couple hours after receiving it. They would not confirm any information other than to next of kin, but it became very clear in our conversations that the bodies had been found at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, CA, about an hour north of San Francisco. What a sad and tragic ending to the lives of these two caring souls.

Tod worked closely with Prof. David Ray Griffin, one of the most prominent voices in the 9/11 truth movement. I called Prof. Griffin the day after I received the above letter. He was also greatly saddened by the news, particularly as Tod played an invaluable role in editing his soon-to-be-published book Unprecedented: Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis. Tod was the chief editor of numerous books on 9/11 by Prof. Griffin and even stepped in for him to do interviews when Prof. Griffin was not available. Tod also wrote an excellent summary of Prof. Griffin's 9/11 work.

As a respected member of the 9/11 truth movement, Tod was on the 9/11 Consensus Panel. He authored many articles about 9/11 and how it fit into the greater context of our world. Well before 9/11, he wrote articles about the ecological crisis and the anti-globalization movement. These can be found at the Daily Battle website under either his name or under Max Kolskegg, Will Guest and I. Berg. These articles were informed by his background in physical geography, in which he was a graduate student. In years past, he taught at the University of California and several junior colleges.

You can listen to Tod in a recent interview on KPFA's Guns and Butter Program with Bonnie Faulkner, or in a 2011 interview with 9/11 whistleblower and former lab director Kevin Ryan. He also worked with the Journal of 9/11 Studies, where he co-authored in 2012 an article on the 9/11 Pentagon attack. He additionally contributed to the globalresearch.ca website, where you can read a 2009 article he published, titled "Osama Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive?"

Tod did all this in spite of the incredible constraints placed upon his time due to Susan’s illness. Susan earned graduate degrees in English literature, and had taught classes at UC. Her own pursuits were short-circuited by her limiting health condition.

Please join me in sending a heartfelt thank you to Tod for all his great work with PEERS and with many others. And let us send very best wishes to these two caring souls wherever they are.

With sadness and warm wishes,
Fred Burks for PEERS and WantToKnow.info