Monday, September 4, 2023

Canadian euthanasia stories influence international debate

The Care Not Killing Alliance UK shared the following message with their supporters as they fight to prevent the legalization of euthanasia in the UK.

This weekend, The Telegraph published an interview with Canadian veteran and Paralympian Christine Gauthier.

Ms Gauthier, who requires a wheelchair because of irreversible injuries from her time in the military, said after initially submitting her request for… disabled equipment in 2018, in 2022 a [Veterans Affairs Canada] employee “called me to make a point of where we’re at [with the lift]”.

‘She continued: “And I said, I just can’t keep going like this. I can’t keep living like this. Like, this has to be done. This has to be resolved.”

‘“And the person stated, ‘You know, Madame Gauthier, if you really feel you can’t go on like this, if you feel that you can’t do it anymore, you know, you have the right to die?’”’


Lawmakers, opinion-formers and the general public need to hear (and heed) such cautionary tales. 

The Care Not Killing Alliance message continued:

‘Increasingly, we are hearing appalling stories from Canada of those who are poor or disadvantaged being offered medical assistance in dying rather than proper health or social care. In the case of Roger Foley he was offered euthanasia whilst being told his care was costing over Canadian $1,500 a day.

‘Assisted suicide and euthanasia corrupt the healthcare system, putting pressure on people to end their lives so as not to be a burden on family, friends or care services. If Scotland were to have a Swiss-type assisted suicide system, hundreds of people a year would be dying prematurely owing to financial or other pressures or because of undiagnosed or untreated clinical depression.’

When Australian assisted suicide extremist Philip Nitschke announced that his 3D-printed suicide pods would be ready for use within a year, Gordon told the Daily Mail:

‘The development of personal gas chambers marks a new low in the debate about whether or not to kill people via assisted suicide and euthanasia.

‘What is equally risible is the claim that these will give people a quick pain free death, as this was exactly what was said about the use of death row drugs in the handful of places that have introduced assisted suicide or euthanasia.’

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition fights the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide around the world. Care Not Killing Alliance UK is instrumental in preventing the legalization of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide in the UK.

Help us fight this battle. Become or renew your membership in the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition today. (EPC Membership Link).

2 comments:

Lene said...

Is there a type-o in the 2nd part of this article? The section starts:
"The Care Not Killing message continued:

‘Increasingly, we are hearing appalling stories from Canada of those who are poor or disadvantaged being offered medical assistance in dying rather than proper health or social care. In the case of Roger Foley he was offered euthanasia whilst being told his care was costing over Canadian $1,500 a day.

‘Assisted suicide and euthanasia corrupt the healthcare system, putting pressure on people to end their lives so as not to be a burden on family, friends or care services. If Scotland were to have a Swiss-type assisted suicide system, hundreds of people a year would be dying prematurely ...'"

The story initially talks about Canada's system and never mentions the Swiss system until the 2nd paragraph here. I'd like to underline the section in question, but I can't figure out a way to do that.

Also, in the last paragraph, what does 'risible' mean?

Alex Schadenberg said...

I just published the article word for word from the Care Not Killing Alliance.

Risible actually refers to the ability to laugh. Philosophers have used this term to describe differences between humans and other animals.