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Oregon Doctor Warns Canadians to Reject Assisted Suicide Legislation
LifeSiteNews ^ | 4/6/10 | Thaddeus M. Baklinski

Posted on 04/06/2010 3:29:28 PM PDT by wagglebee

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A doctor practicing in one of the two U.S. states where physician-assisted suicide is legal has written an open letter to Canadians advising them to beware of the "misguided legislation" of Bill C-384, the bill that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.

"A message to my Canadian neighbors" was written by Dr. William Toffler, the national director of Physicians for Compassionate Care in Portland Oregon, a national organization of physicians who oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide in the U.S.

Dr. Toffler writes that, "Since assisted suicide has become an option in my state of Oregon, I have had at least a dozen patients discuss this choice with me in my practice. Most of the patients who have broached this issue weren’t even terminal."

"Many studies show that assisted suicide requests are almost always for psychological or social reasons," Dr. Toffler observes. "In Oregon there has never been any documented case of assisted suicide used because there was actual untreatable pain. As such, assisted suicide has been totally unnecessary in Oregon."

Furthermore, "the legislation passed in Oregon does not require that the patient have unbearable suffering, or any suffering at all for that matter."

In his practice Dr. Toffler has found that requests for suicide are very often cries for help rather that demands for death.

"How physicians respond to the patient’s request has a profound effect, not only on a patient’s choices, but also on their view of themselves and their inherent worth."

"When a patient says, 'I want to die'; it may simply mean, 'I feel useless.' When a patient says, 'I don’t want to be a burden'; it may really be a question, 'Am I a burden?' When a patient says, 'I’ve lived a long life already'; they may really be saying, 'I’m tired. I’m afraid I can’t keep going.' And, finally, when a patient says, 'I might as well be dead'; they may really be saying, 'No one cares about me.'"

Dr. Toffler has observed a two-fold consequence of the introduction of assisted suicide in Oregon: 1) fear of the motives of doctors or consultants arising in the minds of patients, and 2) a change in attitude toward patient care within the healthcare system itself.

"People with serious illnesses are sometimes fearful of the motives of doctors or consultants," Dr. Toffler notes. "Such fears were never an issue before assisted suicide was legalized."

"Most problematic for me has been the change in attitude within the healthcare system itself," Dr Toffler continues. "In Oregon, I regularly receive notices that many important services and drugs for my patients — even some pain medications — won’t be paid for by the State health plan.  At the same time, assisted suicide is fully covered and sanctioned by the State of Oregon and by our collective tax dollars."

"I urge Canadian leaders to reject the seductive siren of assisted suicide embodied in C-384," Dr. Toffler concludes. "Oregon has literally tasted the bitter pill (barbiturate overdoses) and many now know that our legislation is hopelessly flawed. I believe Canada, with its tradition of excellent palliative and hospice care, should continue to strive to be a model for the rest of the world by rejecting this misguided legislation."

Bill C-384 had its first hour of debate in Canada's parliament on March 16, 2010.

The bill is currently scheduled to receive its second-hour of debate on Tuesday, April 20 and to be voted on Wednesday April 21.

Alex Schadenberg of Canada's Euthanasia Prevention Coalition said he "believes that Francine Lalonde, the Bloc Quebecois MP who sponsored C-384, will once-again try to trade-back in the order of precedence to delay the defeat of Bill C-384. She may not be able to trade-back."

"You need to contact your MP NOW," Schadenberg urged, "and tell them that you oppose Bill C-384."

Dr. Toffler's letter has been posted to the website of Canadians for Care, a grassroots movement among doctors in Canada that proposes comprehensive care for the needs of patients as an alternative to assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Contact info for all MPs is available here.

An analysis of the proposed euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation is available for the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition website here.



TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: april; assistedsuicide; euthanasia; moralabsolutes; oregon; prolife; washington
In his practice Dr. Toffler has found that requests for suicide are very often cries for help rather that demands for death.

"How physicians respond to the patient’s request has a profound effect, not only on a patient’s choices, but also on their view of themselves and their inherent worth."

"When a patient says, 'I want to die'; it may simply mean, 'I feel useless.' When a patient says, 'I don’t want to be a burden'; it may really be a question, 'Am I a burden?' When a patient says, 'I’ve lived a long life already'; they may really be saying, 'I’m tired. I’m afraid I can’t keep going.' And, finally, when a patient says, 'I might as well be dead'; they may really be saying, 'No one cares about me.'"

Perfectly stated!

1 posted on 04/06/2010 3:29:28 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; Salvation; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 04/06/2010 3:30:28 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: BykrBayb; floriduh voter; Lesforlife

Ping


3 posted on 04/06/2010 3:30:51 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: GMMAC; fanfan

Canada Ping


4 posted on 04/06/2010 3:32:13 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 185JHP; 230FMJ; Albion Wilde; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; Antoninus; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

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5 posted on 04/06/2010 3:32:40 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

But then again, in the progressive mind, such individuals are probably a great drag on the tax base than a contributor, and therefore should die...and die quickly, to quote one democrat, although at the time he was just projecting his own view on others.


6 posted on 04/06/2010 3:34:15 PM PDT by highlander_UW (Remember in November...vote the bums out)
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To: wagglebee

‘I’ve lived a long life already’; they may really be saying, ‘I’m tired. I’m afraid I can’t keep going.’
*********

I’ve been feeling some of that, too.


7 posted on 04/06/2010 3:36:35 PM PDT by Canedawg (I'm not diggin' this tyranny thing.)
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To: wagglebee

“In Oregon, I regularly receive notices that many important services and drugs for my patients — even some pain medications — won’t be paid for by the State health plan. At the same time, assisted suicide is fully covered and sanctioned by the State of Oregon and by our collective tax dollars.”

Is it the same in other states with death, oops, health care plans?


8 posted on 04/06/2010 3:37:23 PM PDT by huldah1776
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To: huldah1776

I believe that most other states with assisted suicide are using Oregon as their model.


9 posted on 04/06/2010 3:38:33 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: Canadian Outrage
Ping! Thought you might be interested.

Oregon Doctor Warns Canadians to Reject Assisted Suicide Legislation

My state of Washington is the second state to pass Assisted Suicide. Stupid Seattle area liberals outvote us all the time. :-(

10 posted on 04/06/2010 4:29:22 PM PDT by Spunky (You are free to make choices, but not free from the consequences)
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To: wagglebee
"I believe that most other states with assisted suicide....."

Up to this point the only other state to pass assisted suicide is Washington State which is my state.

We here on the East side of the Cascades fought it with all our might, but we can't out vote the liberal Seattle area.

11 posted on 04/06/2010 4:31:53 PM PDT by Spunky (You are free to make choices, but not free from the consequences)
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To: Spunky

Montana has it by judicial fiat and I believe Hawaii and Connecticut are close to passing it.


12 posted on 04/06/2010 4:48:44 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

I wonder if a carefully orchestrated hoax is in order.

A hoax is usually seen as a practical joke, but the truth is there must be an underlying truism beneath a hoax for it to have a major impact. It can work by playing on people’s hopes, or by showing them their fears.

In this case, picture an imaginary health care worker, an anonymous person, who is in fact a serial killer. Britain had one such, by the name of Dr. Harold Shipman, who may have killed, murdered, as many as 200 of his patients.

But this imaginary one is in Canada. He is an honest sort, for a serial killer, but he fears capture, so he wants a euthanasia law to hide behind. He cannot, nor does he want to explain why he kills, just that he is compelled to kill, and would kill every person in Canada if he could.

This murderer is excited with the possibility of convincing people that they want to die, so that they will voluntarily sacrifice their lives for his pleasure of killing them.

Now once again, this hoax, as it is indeed a hoax, must be carefully documented, and for a very good reason. This reason is to expose the existence of this serial killer to those individuals in Canada that are advocating for euthanasia.

Then to see what they do.

It should also be documented when their likely try and hide the existence of this medical serial killer, so as not to bias the public against their euthanasia agenda.

It may or may not be illegal that if a person finds evidence that a serial killer exists, that they hide the evidence from the police and the public. But it is certainly an incredibly vicious and anti-social thing to do.

And this is the real purpose of the hoax. To show that the supporters of euthanasia care far more about death than they do about life. That they are willing to conceal a mass murderer to advance their political and social agenda.

That they do not care about other people’s pain, but instead, want them to die. Because this is the hidden truism of the hoax.

The advocates of euthanasia *are* like Dr. Shipman. It is *they* who are the serial killers they try to conceal. And thus, the circle is complete. The hoax is not actually a hoax. And Canada has serial killers running around loose.

They may be politicians, and maybe they haven’t murdered anyone yet. But they sure want to.


13 posted on 04/06/2010 5:02:13 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: wagglebee

**the national director of Physicians for Compassionate Care in Portland Oregon, a national organization of physicians who oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide in the U.S.**

BTTT for this doctor!


14 posted on 04/06/2010 7:39:11 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: wagglebee; abcraghead; aimhigh; Archie Bunker on steroids; bicycle thug; blackie; coffeebreak; ...
Oregon Ping

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Oregon Ping List.

15 posted on 04/06/2010 7:39:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: wagglebee
I hadn't realized that so I Googled and found and read this article. Montana Ruling Bolsters Doctor-Assisted Suicide

My husband comes from Montana.

16 posted on 04/06/2010 8:04:19 PM PDT by Spunky (You are free to make choices, but not free from the consequences)
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To: wagglebee

“Many studies show that assisted suicide requests are almost always for psychological or social reasons,” Dr. Toffler observes. “In Oregon there has never been any documented case of assisted suicide used because there was actual untreatable pain. As such, assisted suicide has been totally unnecessary in Oregon.”


What a good man. I’m glad he is in my state! Too bad more doctors weren’t able to influence the idiot voters here.


17 posted on 04/06/2010 8:31:15 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Asato Ma Sad Gamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya)
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To: Spunky

Thanks Spunky. I know that there is a large group of Libtards that have been pushing this for years. I cannot believe that our Christian Prime Minister would have anything to do with this tho. But I sure intend to find out. The same woman from Quebec keeps bringing this bill forward and it gets defeated over and over. I guess procedure necessitates that it be debated before being voted on however. But there hasn’t been anything that I have seen in the news. Thanks for the tip. CO


18 posted on 04/07/2010 11:56:15 AM PDT by Canadian Outrage (Conservatism is to a country what medicine is to a wound - HEALING!!)
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To: wagglebee; abcraghead; aimhigh; Archie Bunker on steroids; bicycle thug; blackie; coffeebreak; ...
Oregon Ping

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19 posted on 04/13/2010 9:46:06 PM PDT by Salvation ( "With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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