Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Assisted Suicide ruling is wrong

The Vancouver Province published the following editorial today under the title: Assisted Suicide ruling is wrong. I am republishing part of the editorial:
What is strange about Smith's decision is that it's unclear what has changed since the Supreme Court of Canada rejected "assisted suicide" - really just state-sanctioned euthanasia - 19 years ago or, for that matter, when Parliament debated the issue two years ago and decided not to change the law. 
Allowing doctors to kill patients nearing the end of their lives, even with their consent, cheapens the sanctity of life, no matter how horrible the disease a patient is suffering from. 
Suicide is legal in Canada. Patients with ALS, who are at the forefront of these legal cases, already have the right to end their lives while they are capable if they don't wish to see their lives through to their natural conclusions. 
In some of the very few countries where so-called "assisted suicide" has been allowed, euthanasia has soon followed. 
Canada must retain its absolute prohibition on the killing of others if we are to continue to be a nation that values life. 
What do you think? Email a brief comment, including your name and town to: provletters@theprovince.com.
Please write letters supporting the position of the Vancouver Province.

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