Life Tag

09 Oct 2007 Physician Assisted Suicide

Background: There is an increasing push for the legalization of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in Canada. A Today's Family News article notes that "One year ago, MPs debated a private member’s bill introduced by Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde to legalize physician-assisted suicide. A federal election was called before it could come to a vote but Lalonde has since vowed to resurrect her bill." Instead of being reactive, we can be proactive. So here is a simple action plan: 1) Check out the news article that tells the story of a husband from Nova Scotia who brought his wife over to Europe to be euthanized. A very sad part of the story (not really talked about in the CBC version) is that he is a retired Anglican minister.

26 Sep 2007 Dying With Dignity

By Mark Penninga (French version available below as an attachment) Words can pack a punch. As such, they can be used for both noble and crafty purposes. Advertisers, political spin-doctors, and even Supreme Court judges know this well and take full advantage of the power of words. One example is the concept of dignity. Because dignity seems to be such a favourable word it is being used, and exploited, for purposes as far ranging as Hillary Duff’s latest pop album to the push for legalized abortion in third world countries. But the movement that has most exploited the concept of dignity is the political effort to legalize euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. The term “death with dignity” is being used by right-to-die advocacy groups because they know that associating dignity with euthanasia will soften the public perception of what they are really demanding– state condoned death.