But as the daylight succumbs to darkness,
And as the Stars exhaust their radiance,
Life bestowed returns to blankness,
The Law of Existence knows no defiance…

~Life Bestowed

Today is All Souls’ Day. In the Christian tradition it is the day when the souls of the faithful departed are commemorated. Serendipitously, it is two days before the denizens of the state of Washington vote on Initiative 1000 (I-1000) on the November 4 election. While Proposition 8 in California is getting most of the media attention I-1000 is the measure that really tests the ethical boundaries of one’s philosophy on life and death.

So what is I-1000? I-1000 or “Death with Dignity” is a measure that would “…permit terminally ill, competent, adult Washington residents medically predicted to die within six months to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician.”

This is not just liberal vs. conservative political decision. It is a deeply moral and philosophical vote that transcends political affiliation. That’s why I took the time to read the details and listened to the pro and con arguments on the proposed measure. For me, this is a harder vote than the U.S. presidency.

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It’s election day. Here’s my prediction: a mandate for Obama. I’m being ballsy but still somewhat conservative with my guesstimate. Out of my remaining respect for McCain I didn’t give Arizona to Obama. But even that is still up in the air.

Once the election is over, we have a lot of work to do. As we head our way to the climax of this historic election, I’m deeply filled with gratitude to have been a part of this great experiment. This has been a gaint leap in American democracy.  It makes me proud to call myself a Filipino-American and then some. CONTINUE READING >