Making news this week - the Supreme Court of Canada is once again examining Physician Assisted Suicide. Over 20 years ago, they looked at this same issue and upheld the existing law.
The reason for the re-examination is to look - in depth - at the laws surrounding a case involving a 72 year old woman from Winnipeg, Susan Griffiths. She traveled to Europe to have Swiss doctors administer a lethal dose of Phenobarbital.
Twenty plus years ago, a woman named Sue Rodriguez was suffering from ALS - a disease we know to be fatal. She implored the Canadian Government to relax or change the rules so she could end her life before the onset of the worst of the ALS symptoms hit. The laws were upheld and she ended up taking her own life a year later.
Now - while I pity these two women, and any others in the same situation, and feel for their families - I can't say that I agree with their choices. Suicide in itself isn't illegal, but the act of helping another person commit suicide is.
Canada's laws in terms of allowing abortion are lax at best. It has become the last-chance method of birth control. And now, the Supreme Court is opening yet another door to allow people to basically commit murder. Will passing a law allowing 'Physician Assisted Suicide' also become lax? Abortion no longer appalls people - we've been desensitized to it over the years. Will Euthanasia be the same in future years?
My main fear - besides the obvious religious aspects and moral issues - is where does this lead? At this point the law is clear, convolution of the law opens it for all sorts of interpretation.
What level of impairment would be considered open for assisted suicide? What about non-physical diseases - such as mental illness? Do these people also not suffer? What and who determines quality of life? At what point does a person with an incurable disease ask for this service? Two weeks in? Two months? What level of pain is considered unacceptable?
What about those doctors who have taken an oath to do no harm? Isn't killing another person the epitome of harm? I've spoken to doctors who have told me they will absolutely never take part in an assisted suicide.
We've already been desensitized to abortion and violence, and now euthanasia? At what point do ordinary Canadians say "no more killing of our citizens"? Or alternately - have the left wing socialists taken so much control of our societal thinking - that we feel this is an affront to our rights?
Personally I am opposed to this. I feel it is treading in very dangerous waters. Like a star-trek episode where old people were arbitrarily put to death simply because they were old, will this become "the best-intentions" scenario.
Folks, I ask this: When do our rights and freedoms supersede life itself?
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| Susan Griffiths Before leaving for Europe to end her life |
Twenty plus years ago, a woman named Sue Rodriguez was suffering from ALS - a disease we know to be fatal. She implored the Canadian Government to relax or change the rules so she could end her life before the onset of the worst of the ALS symptoms hit. The laws were upheld and she ended up taking her own life a year later.
Now - while I pity these two women, and any others in the same situation, and feel for their families - I can't say that I agree with their choices. Suicide in itself isn't illegal, but the act of helping another person commit suicide is.
Canada's laws in terms of allowing abortion are lax at best. It has become the last-chance method of birth control. And now, the Supreme Court is opening yet another door to allow people to basically commit murder. Will passing a law allowing 'Physician Assisted Suicide' also become lax? Abortion no longer appalls people - we've been desensitized to it over the years. Will Euthanasia be the same in future years?
My main fear - besides the obvious religious aspects and moral issues - is where does this lead? At this point the law is clear, convolution of the law opens it for all sorts of interpretation.
What level of impairment would be considered open for assisted suicide? What about non-physical diseases - such as mental illness? Do these people also not suffer? What and who determines quality of life? At what point does a person with an incurable disease ask for this service? Two weeks in? Two months? What level of pain is considered unacceptable?
What about those doctors who have taken an oath to do no harm? Isn't killing another person the epitome of harm? I've spoken to doctors who have told me they will absolutely never take part in an assisted suicide.
We've already been desensitized to abortion and violence, and now euthanasia? At what point do ordinary Canadians say "no more killing of our citizens"? Or alternately - have the left wing socialists taken so much control of our societal thinking - that we feel this is an affront to our rights?
Personally I am opposed to this. I feel it is treading in very dangerous waters. Like a star-trek episode where old people were arbitrarily put to death simply because they were old, will this become "the best-intentions" scenario.
Folks, I ask this: When do our rights and freedoms supersede life itself?
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