Posted on 01/05/2012 3:45:30 PM PST by wagglebee
Euthanasia is once again in the spotlight.
The Carter case, now before the courts in B.C., seeks to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. It’s a constitutional challenge which seeks to legalize these practices as medical treatment and to be regulated within provincial health-care regulations.
On April 21, 2010, Canada’s parliament soundly defeated Bill C-384, which sought to amend the Criminal Code, allowing the right to die with dignity. It was a bad piece of legislation which, had it passed, would have directly threatened the lives of persons with disabilities.
We won this battle. However, Canada’s right-to-die lobby aren’t giving up that easily.
In November, the Royal Society of Canada released its report on end-of-life decision-making. The report repeats the phrase “life is not worth living.”
In addition, it suggests dropping “terminal illness” as a prerequisite for death by euthanasia or assisted suicide. It says, “There are many individuals whose lives are no longer worth living to them who have not been diagnosed with a terminal illness.”
RIGHT TO KILL
When society defines a human life as “no longer worth living,” then it can justify a right to kill that individual. Advocates of euthanasia are using some of the same language and rhetoric in use when the former eugenics movement was around.
Persons with disabilities have reason to be concerned. It is a misconception we are somehow “suffering” and in need of state-sanctioned assistance to end our lives.
Language commonly used by the disabled community has been hijacked. Words such as “choice” and “autonomy” are being redefined by the advocates of euthanasia. It has been said all social engineering is preceded by some form of “verbal engineering, so we need to reclaim our language.
The Netherlands is often referred to as a nation where euthanasia laws have worked well. However, we’ve learned from recent reports that many euthanasia deaths there go unreported. We have also learned 20% of Dutch general practitioners were willing to euthanize a patient who was “tired of life.”
WHAT ABOUT CONSENT?
Recently, the Dutch Medical Association approved euthanasia for people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and loneliness. Whatever happened to euthanasia requiring consent or the person having capacity? The irony of history is during the Second World War, the Netherlands was the only occupied country whose doctors had refused, en masse, to participate in the German euthanasia program.
Euthanasia is a very emotional issue. It’s one of those issues for which there are no easy answers. Canada’s euthanasia lobby failed to legalize euthanasia through democratic process and are now looking for a sympathetic, activist judge.
I am opposed to any action or legislation that may serve to further devalue the lives of persons with disabilities. It’s this devaluation of our lives which has often been used to justify acts of violence against us — even murder.
The last thing we need is for more negative stereotypes about persons living with disabilities. And while I’m opposed to the practice of euthanasia, I do believe Canadians need to have a dialogue around this important issue.
That's because the eugenics movement never went away, it just rebranded itself.
“Right to die” quickly becomes “Duty to die.”
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Hmmph.....I always thought it meant children of China.
Eugenics is socialism defined. You are designated worthy, not because you are inherently of value, but because you earned it in some way.
This means that if you fail the worthy test, whether it because you failed to meet the minimal in terms of ability, or looks or position, you have no worth.
And you can be euthanized against your will.
Yes. Euthanasia is another word for murder.
Answer: Yes.
Comment" There are people that like to kill and calling it euthanasia lets them do what they like without fear of incurring a penalty.
Yes.
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