This article was published by National Review online on June 6, 2022
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| Wesley Smith |
The Netherlands and Belgium already permit people diagnosed with dementia to sign an advance directive ordering themselves killed when they become incapacitated. This has even resulted in one case in which such a patient was euthanized despite resisting — and the government responded by changing the law to enable death-doctors to drug and euthanize such patients without permission.
Now Canada — which last year greatly loosened the criteria for euthanasia — may be on the verge of taking the same path. A bill has been filed in the Senate that would permit patients to order themselves killed without final consent if they become mentally incapacitated. From S-248:
If the patient resists, the killing is not supposed to take place. Right. As though the person would know what was happening.For the purposes of subparagraph (3.2)(a)(ii), a person may waive the need for final consent [to receiving lethal jab] if(a) they made a declaration in writing that a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner may administer a substance to cause that person’s death should the person lose the capacity to consent to receiving medical assistance in dying and be suffering conditions related to their serious and incurable illness, disease or disability that are identified clearly in the declaration and can be observed by the medical practitioner or nurse practitioner;
(b) the declaration was made after a diagnosis of a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability by a medical practitioner, but no more than five years have elapsed since the declaration was made;
(c) in the declaration, the person consented to the administration by a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner of a substance to cause their death if they are suffering from the conditions listed in the declaration and have lost their capacity to consent to receiving medical assistance in dying prior to that point;
(d) the declaration was witnessed by two independent witnesses to confirm that it was made voluntarily and not as a result of external pressure and each witness signed and dated it . . .
No One but God has the right to declare someones death, my husband is suffering from dementia and we communicate just fine. He is in a long term care home and even tho he does not know me as his wife he knows we have a connection and even have some good laughs together. Just to be able to hear his voice is a great gift that should not be taken from anyone.
ReplyDeleteAnne Davies
Our Government has become a sad reflection of the sinfulness of our people.
ReplyDeleteLife is precious to God. It is outrageous that our government has decided for us that there is no God, so they can create puppets like Justin Trudeau, who think they are God and we need his permission to ask to die.
What a load of wickedness we face in Canada. It disgusts me that the Euthanasia Bill was introduced by the Conservatives and Implemented by Sick Socialist Liberals.
We have entered the same slippery slope of Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union. First it is voluntary. Then it is still voluntary, but they use high pressure tactics. Then it is death to anyone who does not measure up to our governments idea of perfection.
Just wait. The next bill will be to kill all adults over the age of 75, because our state is so loving and knows better than the rest of us ignorant children.
The moral cowardice of our leaders.
Thomas Pratt
Dementia Patients are still living-breathing and thinking elsewhere human beings and not typically responding to surrounding stimuli of family or friends.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they are not a danger to others and responding still somewhat to any stimuli, we cannot act like God and direct people into non-existence, by putting them to death..
States and countries adopting this draconian regulatory instrument will undoubtedly suffer collateral damage through mis-diagnosis and innocent lives will be taken at best.
At worst; despotic states and countries (democratic or not) will use the regulation at will for health cost savings, targeting those who are less cognizant, lowering the bar, other than those beset with dementia and get rid of those who do not contribute anymore to the welfare of society. We must tread very very carefully and teams of doctors, not individual .doctors, are
to make decisions only in agreement with immediate 'next of kin';