We must be willing to say the truth and put it into action.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I have been travelling and speaking over the past few weeks giving me the opportunity to speak to many people about euthanasia and assisted suicide.

This week I have had events in British Columbia, last week I was in Ontario and Saskatchewan, the week before I was in Michigan and before that I was in Alberta while at the same time I have had several more presentations in Ontario.

The Canadian presentations primarily include the showing of the Life Worth Living film and then leading a discussion after the film. Order and show the Life Worth Living film (Purchase Link).

The American presentations primarily include showing the Prescription Poison film and then leading a discussion afterwards. Order and show the Prescription Poison film (Purchase Link).

The primary message is that we must be willing to say what euthanasia and assisted suicide actually are. We must be willing to say that we oppose killing people and that we support caring for people.

Another primary message is that we need to care for people. People are not asking to be killed by lethal poison because they want to exercise their "freedom" but rather people are "asking" to be killed because they are living with a difficult health condition, they often feel lonely or abandoned, they often fear possible future suffering and they often believe that their life has lost meaning, value and purpose.

These are human realities that are solved by caring for the other. Killing is not about freedom, choice or autonomy. Killing is about abandonment of people in their time of need.

This is why the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition works with Compassionate Community Care (CCC). CCC is a charity that focuses on the real issues of being with, advocating for, and caring for people in their time of need.

We need more people and groups who are willing to care for others, to organize people in their communities to be with people who are living with life limiting and terminal conditions. 

Long-term cultural change can only be accomplished by caring for others and rejecting killing.

 

People regularly ask about how they can protect themselves and their family. Many years ago the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition created the Life Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care. 

The clear language in the EPC Life Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care is designed to protect her life.

During the presentations I am being asked about the political realities. 

We need a real cultural shift. Politics changes based on trends but big political waves can lead to immediate change. Those changes may, a few years later, revert back, after another wave. 

Politics is important, but instead of only focusing on politics we must focus on what it is that we oppose and what we support. 

The time has come to go back to the basics.

All of the peripheral issues are important but we oppose killing people and we believe in caring for others in their time of need. 

Change will come when the culture changes and culture change requires a consistent honest straight forward and caring approach.

We must be willing to say the truth and put that truth action.