The Daily Signal - #325: A Widow Explains Why Her Husband, Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer, Opposed Assisted Suicide

Episode Date: October 25, 2018

One out of four deaths in America are from cancer, and every year, over half a million of our citizens lose their battle with cancer. Terminal illness has provoked a debate over assisted suicide: whether it should be allowed, and what it means to truly protect human dignity. We speak to Kristen Hanson, who lost her husband, J.J., to brain cancer last year. Plus: College students were so upset over the 2016 election results a considerable portion are at risk for developing PTSD. We also cover these stories:--Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing was a “heinous crime that cannot be justified.”--The Trump administration is taking more action to curb the opioid epidemic. President Trump discussed the crisis Wednesday, and signed related legislation.--The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is launching a new course titled “Trumpaganda: The war on facts, press and democracy.”The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Thursday, October 25th. I'm Kate Trinco. And I'm Daniel Davis. One out of four deaths in America are from cancer, and every year, over half a million of our citizens lose their battle with cancer. Terminal illness has provoked a debate over assisted suicide, whether it should be allowed and what it means to truly protect human dignity. Kristen Hansen lost her husband to brain cancer last year,

but despite his terminal illness, he took an active stand against assisted suicide. We'll talk to Kristen in a few minutes. Plus, you might be surprised by the number of college students who could have PTSD from the 2016 election. But first, we'll cover a few of the top headlines. President Donald Trump addressed a slew of suspicious packages found Wednesday in remarks. I'll tell you that in these times, we have to unify. We have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable. message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United

States of America. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, tweeted, quote, once again, we are reminded of the heroism of America's first responders as they work to counter these attempted attacks. The goal of terrorists is to instill fear. We will not allow them to diminish our commitment to building a brighter future for communities, across America." Hillary Clinton, President Obama, and CNN all received packages which were reportedly filled with explosive devices.

Well, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman finally broke his silence Wednesday about the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Crown Prince said that Khashoggi's killing was a heinous crime that cannot be justified. He said Saudi Arabia is cooperating with the Turkish government to bring the perpetrators to justice. and President Spoke had previously called the Saudi response to Kishoggi's death the worst cover-up ever, and he suggested the Crown Prince could have been involved in the plot. The Trump administration is taking more action to curb the opioid epidemic. President Trump discussed the crisis Wednesday and signed related legislation.

We're going to end the scourge of drug addiction in America. We are going to end it or we are going to at least make an extremely big dent in this terrible, terrible problem. According to Reuters, the legislation Trump signed, quote, expands access to substance abuse treatment and Medicaid, cracks down on mailed shipments of illicit drugs such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, far more powerful than heroin, and provides a host of new federal grants to address the crisis, end quote.

It was passed in Congress this month, 9821 in the Senate, and in the House 393 to 8. Illinois taxpayers have reason to balk at one of their major state universities. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is launching a new course titled Trumpaganda, The War on Facts, Press, and Democracy. Now, that sounds like a partisan book title, but yes, it's actually a course, and it's just starting in time for the midterms. The course description says students will examine the Trump administration's disinformation campaign.

It's running war with the mainstream news. media and their implications for American democracy and a free press. Pretty remarkable stuff. I kind of love the term Trumpaganda. What would it be Obama ganda? I don't know. Like, I think this is the new gate. I have a lot of hope for this.

But it does sound like a book title, right? Oh, yeah, totes. Yeah, Trumpaganda. All right. Well, last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chow, were sitting down to dinner at a restaurant and became the subject of harassment. Now in an op-ed for the career journal McConnell is speaking out. He writes, quote, I'm not sure exactly what in my career suggests I would be easily swayed by such a spectacle.

The reality is simple. I will not be intimidated. But this issue is not really about me or about any individual elected official. It's about something larger. The mob mentality that is being systematically fed and encouraged by the far left all across our nation. The threats and intimidation are even being cheered on by prominent leading Democrats. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there should be no civility until her party was back in power. Eric Holder, President Obama's Attorney General, recently told a group that when they go low, we kick them. That's what this new Democratic Party is about, end quote. Up next, we'll talk to Kristen Hansen about physician-assisted suicide and her personal story. Liberals have pretty much cornered the

market on 101-style podcasts that break down tough policy issues in the news. Until now, did you know that every week, Heritage Explains intermingles personal stories, news clips, and facts from heritage experts to help explain some of today's hardest issues from a conservative perspective. Look for Heritage Explains on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. In 2016, the Daily Signals Kelsey Harkness, interviewed J.J. Hansen, a Marine veteran and a former political aid to two New York governors. Hansen, who was a married man in his 30s, had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was in Washington, D.C., to speak out against legalizing physician-assisted suicide. In 2014, when I was diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer, doctors gave me four months left to live, basically told me to go home, enjoy the time that I had left. We went out and we got a second opinion, we got a third opinion, and lo and behold, Two and a half years later, I'm here talking to you.

Hansen also talked about his own thoughts on physician-assisted suicide. I was aware of the issue, obviously, for a number of years. I had a political science background, so I didn't know about it. But I would say, like many Americans, I was somewhat indifferent on the issue. I didn't have a strong opinion either way. I became more aware of the issue in 2014 when I was diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer. Obviously, I chose to continue to fight and go forward, but it made. made me very nervous and made me very scared for other patients because I don't know that they

would have come to the same conclusion. Had I had those drugs, I would have had them right by my nightstand. There would have been no doctor checking in on me. There would have been no proper control or regulation by any type of health program, any type of counseling. They would have just been right there. I could have picked them up, put them into a drink, taken them, and it would have been the end of my life.

But I was depressed. I was going through difficulty at that point. I needed counseling. I needed care, not assisted suicide. doesn't solve the problem that we're talking about here. It just creates new ones. Sadly, on December 30th, 2017, Hansen passed away, leaving his wife, Kristen, and two young sons, James and Lucas. Joining us today is Kristen Hansen, who is the Community Relations Advocate at Patience Right Actions Fund. Kristen, I never got to meet JJ, but I remember

watching that raw footage of the interview and just being so impressed that here's someone with a limited lifespan and he's being an activist. He's taking action on this. What drew you to him and what was he like? I think that I went to school with JJ and I grew up with him. So he was always somebody that I admired because he had a way of bringing people together. He would come into a room and he was just charismatic and funny and genuinely caring and kind. And when we ended up, up starting to date what I remembered all of those qualities. And I think that what made me ultimately fall in love with him was that he made me want to be a better person. He lived life through example and I learned so much from him through the years that we were together. But I think I'm

most thankful to him for what he taught me when he was dying, the way he chose to live his life when he was dying, that he's still, even in those moments where it's very easy to understand why people would go internal. He still just wanted to care for other people and was concerned about others more than himself. Well, how did, how did you and JJ both respond initially, you know, when you heard that he had cancer and he had four months to live? It was, it was shocking. You know, JJ just a day or two earlier had gone for a run and we thought he was, you know, healthy and young and we were loving life. Life seemed perfect. We had just had James. He was around a year old at that point. And when I got the phone call that he had had a seizure and I needed to

get to the hospital, I didn't know what I was walking into. We had no idea what was going on. And when we found out that it was the worst of the worst news, that this is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, you have that moment you see on the TV where your life just seems to stop and your life plays before you, all of the memories. and you try to think forward and you just want to have hope. I think that the most difficult thing to hold on to in those moments is for hope. Hope for that day, hope for another day together, as much time. You just want as much time as you possibly can have together.

And one of the things that JJ mentioned is he, of course, lived a lot longer than the four months he was originally given. Can you speak a little bit about that and the difference that it made? Sure. So I remember I was the one who first found out how aggressive his cancer was. In a moment when I had the doctor alone in the room with me, I said, tell me what we're dealing with here because I really don't know anything about brain cancer or cancer in general. Are we talking about a cure? Are we talking about treatment? How much time are we looking at?

And when he told me four months, we would be lucky if we got a year. I remember in that moment thinking I would give anything for more time. He had said if it had been a less aggressive cancer, maybe we could have gotten three years. And I thought, three years, I would have, I would give anything for three years. Why not three years? Why just four months? And JJ ended up living three and a half years. So in that moment, that's all I could have hoped for.

And we had that more. We were fortunate enough to have our second son, Lucas. And he is just such a gift. JJ had said to me at one moment when we found out that we were pregnant, he said, Chris, no matter what happens to me, you're going to need more love. And he was so true, I look at Lucas, and he's love and he's hope, and he's all of that wrapped into one little miracle. Well, that's really amazing to think that, you know, if he had chosen not to keep fighting,

that he wouldn't have had those extra three and a half years with you and the family. You know, a lot of folks, when they think about terminal illness and brain cancer and that sort of situation, they think of assisted suicide as a dignified way of leaving. What would you say to those folks? I'd say that, you know, assisted suicide is being portrayed in a very particular way by proponents. And what isn't highlighted often when you think about this is that it's very dangerous. We can still care for patients and focus on hospice and palliative care services that we utilize for JJ at the end of life. And he was able to pass at home, surrounded by those he loved. We addressed his pain at the end of life.

And he died a very dignified death without assisted suicide. And what we need to remember is that even though it's being portrayed that this is about a person's individual choice, it's autonomy, who are you to, you know, decide for me, what I want. This isn't about one person. This, when we introduce suicide as a medical treatment, it impacts everyone. It opens the doors wide open for insurance companies to deny coverage to patients because this is now a legal option and it's considered medical care. And for me as a caregiver, my biggest fear is that what someone else in my lifetime that I love

will become ill. It's just inevitable. and when they go to the doctor, I want to know that they're going to have access to the care that they need and this isn't going to be offered instead because that is what is happening in states where it's legal. So I was really struck about how you said a little bit earlier that, you know, some of the most powerful years you had with him were when he was dying. And, you know, we are so uncomfortable as a culture with dying, with suffering, with all of this. Why were those years so meaningful when, you know, in so many ways, I'm sure most of us would say, to put it, it crudely, that's our worst fear that our loved one gets cancer and dies. You know, JJ, JJ said this and I feel the same way. This is not an issue that we would have been involved in

otherwise if we had not lived this and seeing how dangerous it could be. But it did teach us so much and it was my worst fear come to life. But what JJ taught me in through this journey, he embodied the sense of every day as a gift and that you just have to focus on today. and all the things that you are thankful for in the moment and make today the best possible day that you can. And it puts everything into perspective. And until you face death the way that we did, you forget that because you get busy, life distracts you.

Little problems can quickly turn into what seemed like huge problems. And it really draws you back to what's most important. What would you say is JJ's biggest legacy, both for you and for your kids? I think that what JJ taught me and the boys is that he was dedicated to serving other people. He dedicated his life as a Marine Corps war veteran serving in state government like you had mentioned. He was a volunteer fireman. And then when he found out that he was terminal dedicating the end of his life to fighting for other patients to protect them,

He taught me that, you know, one day at a time, do today the best that you can and help others. The greatest gift that we can give is helping others. What would you say to someone who finds themselves in the same situation you did with their spouse or a loved one facing a terminal diagnosis or maybe even they themselves facing a terminal diagnosis? I'd say the most important thing for patients and for the people who love them, their caregivers, is to always have hope. when you were in that situation, the message that we received and the message of assisted suicide is this message of hopelessness. And it is so powerful and dangerous for patients and their families. And if you can hold on to hope, even if it's just enough hope for that day, that you can get through that day

and you can make as many good moments in that day as you can, hold on to that because really all any of us have is today. Okay. Well, thank you very much for joining us, Kristen. Thank you. Want to get up to speed about the Supreme Court? Then subscribe to SCOTUS 101, a podcast about everything that's happening at the Supreme Court and what the justices are up to. A new study at the University of Arizona found that 25% of students surveyed there experienced significant event-related distress from the 2016 election, which can predict future distress as well as things like PTSD. So, Kate, what is this all about? Are these actually, is this snowflakes or is this like legitimate concern?

Well, maybe somewhere in the middle. I mean, to me, the thing is, well, one, I don't know if I'm totally one to point because I was very emotional in a not good way over the prospect of Hillary Clinton winning. So I may not be the most optimal commentator on this. But, you know, I think to me with this sort of highlights is how the left's rhetoric is hurting the left. You know, I think we see over and over again an extreme rhetoric against President Trump and against the GOP that really, I mean, I was, you know, sort of joking around with you yesterday, but saying like, if Hitler came to America, what words would we have left? And yes, I guess there's a handful. But it seems to me that, you know, skimming the Washington Post article that mentioned this, I believe they mentioned like they were afraid people would get deported. Well, people got deported under Obama and I don't actually believe the number has gone up significantly. percentage-wise under Trump. They mentioned they were worried for women. Well, as we know, women have faced sexual assault, unfortunately under all presidents. I don't believe there's any reason

from what I've seen that such things have gone up. So I think a lot of this is based on not hard data or reality. It's this fear-mongering culture that the left has really cultivated where everything is a crisis and everyone is really in perpetual danger. And I think the problem here is people believe it. And, you know, sort of along those lines, I would also say, you know, I saw on Drudge a couple days ago this article from the CBS affiliate in the San Francisco Bay Area, where of course I'm from, that mentioned this house in Alameda, not far from where I grew up, where they have, quote, a bewigget devil figure bearing a Donald Trump name tag ominously says, come with me, my child, into the heart of darkness itself before emitting an evil

laugh. And then Daniel Balsam, who I guess is the owner or the renter of the property, said, quote, the administration is basically the scariest monsters we can think of. That's why we do this Halloween display like this. So, I mean, you know, look, it's a free country. He can do whatever he wants with this property. I have no problem. But I think this is emblematic, if I'm using that correctly, of like this bizarro mindset where like the worst is here. This kind of reminded me of that video clip, which I'm sure you've seen, and maybe a lot of our listeners have, it was like on the day of the inauguration when that lady was on her knees, like screaming, no, no, no, you remember that? I don't. I don't.

Don't put our poor producer. She's thumb-thumping. Yeah, she's like, this is not what we wanted. I'm so sorry to the earth. No, and I mean, I think it's, you know, I mean, like, excessive displays, you know, of course we all remember how everyone lost. their minds over George W. Bush. I remember going to, I think it was the Walk for Life, which is pro-life in San Francisco, and it must have been 07 or 08.

And San Francisco was still San Francisco. And I remember some guy was dressed up as George W. Bush and then a cage. And I don't know. It was something about war crimes. So, I mean, the left totally freaked out over Bush. I don't really remember what occurred during his father in Reagan's tenure. but I don't know if it's a pattern. But like, gosh, if I was in the left and I heard a quarter of college students, you know, extrapolating from this survey, are now poised to get PTSD because of the election.

I would really, I don't know, I would hope that I would be self-policing a bit. So what was your emotional state on election night? Well. Because you said you expected calamity with Clinton. I did. And, you know, I think I do not agree with that. decision President Trump has made, but, you know, largely his policy choices have been aligned with my perspective.

And, you know, it was hope. It was hopeful. And, of course, the Daily Signal had to get all the content ready for an ending that no one saw coming. So that was fun. But, yeah, looking forward to another election night. Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. You know, I remember that night.

It was my second day here at the Daily Signal. Oh, right. And it was a late night, and it was a lot of fun. we were watching the New York Times it was like a electionometer or something where it would point one way or the other and then when it started to break toward Trump oh man people on Twitter lost their minds

we were all losing our minds I remember switching to yeah to MSNBC and hadn't done that in a few years oh yeah just to see just to see how the fields were going yeah yeah all right well we're going to leave it there for today thanks so much for listening to the The Daily Signal podcast brought to you from the Robert H. Bruce Radio Studio at the Heritage Foundation. Please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google, Play, or SoundCloud, and please leave us a review or rating on iTunes to give us any feedback. We'll see you again tomorrow.

You've been listening to The Daily Signal podcast, executive produced by Kate Trinko and Daniel Davis. Sound design by Michael Gooden, Lauren Evans, and the Learampersad. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.