"Death with dignity" bill introduced.

Ottawa -- The latest threat to human life in Canada has emerged with the introduction in Parliament of Bill C-407, an act to amend the Criminal Code to allow for an alleged "right to die with dignity." Brought forth by Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde, the bill would, in effect, legalize both euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg characterizes it starkly as "an attack on people with disabilities, as well as people with chronic conditions and other vulnerable Canadians who are already devalued by many members of society. In other words, people who need to be protected." ("Explanation of Bill 407," September 16).

Lalonde contends that "safeguards" are built into her bill to prevent abuse, but Schadenberg assails what he sees as ambiguities and unclear definitions throughout. He adds, "Restrictions, such as they are, are so wide open as to be meaningless." (The official summary of the bill mentions that any person, under "certain conditions," can aid a person close to death or suffering from a "debilitating illness" if that person has expressed a supposedly "free and informed" wish to die.)

At an EPC symposium in Toronto on September 24, Alberta disability rights activist Mark Pickup observed Bill C-407 heralds a "frightening time to live with a disability in Ontario and Canada." He added the bill "has holes so large, you could drive a hearse through it," while speculating that it is serving as a trial balloon to gauge public opinion on the issue.

Catholic Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J., in a recent pastoral letter in the wake of the Terri Schiavo controversy, reiterated some key points in the Catholic Church's teaching on end-of-life care. He points out that although the Church's position is not "life at all costs," there must always be a presumption in favour of food and hydration, even for those who require assistance in their delivery. Decisions on end-of-life care are always moral, as well as scientific, he writes, adding that a human life must never be reduced to merely the biological. Personhood must never be a judgement imparted solely by others, he says. ("End-of-Life decisions: ethical principles," Origins, September 22, 2005, pp. 248-252).

Comment:

Readers are encouraged to contact their members of Parliament and urge them to oppose Bill C-407 in its entirety. MPs can be reached by mail, postage-free, at the House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6. P.S.: "Death with Dignity" is, of course, a euphemism for death by execution.