Euthanasia

14 Jul 2012 How About the Right to Cry for Help?

Amy Hasbrouck, from the disability rights group Not Dead Yet writes an excellent op-ed in the Montreal Gazette on the recent B.C. court ruling that threw out Canada’s laws on assisted suicide and euthanasia. Hasbrouck ably demonstrates that the decision is laden with discrimination towards those who suffer from disabilities. Here are a couple of excerpts from her article titled, How about the right to cry for help? It’s one thing when a random guy walks up to you on the street and says, “I’d rather be dead than be like you.” It’s...

15 Jun 2012 B.C. judge strikes down assisted-suicide ban

ARPA Note: Find an excellent commentary on the decision here. Also, thank you to Garett Vane and the ARPA folks from BC's Lower Mainland who were able to witness at the steps of the BC Supreme Court, both when the case started and again when the decision was made public. Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Press release, June 15 2012: The BC Supreme Court released its decision in Carter v. AG Canada today. The decision carves exceptions into the laws allowing Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in Canada. The Federal Parliament of Canada recently considered legalization of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in a bill that came before the House in 2010. Bill C-384 was overwhelmingly defeated based upon concerns related to the prospect of the abuse of seniors, people with disabilities, the lack of an effective national suicide prevention strategy, and the lack of access to good palliative care in Canada.

23 Mar 2012 Legislative Committee on Euthanasia: Just Ignore the Law!

ARPA Note: We provided a 12 page submission to this committee, urging them to see the dangers of euthanasia and assisted suicide. It is a sad and troubling day when our authorities urge the Attorney General to ignore the law and turn a blind eye to euthanasia. Please consider writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. You are welcome to borrow arguments from our submission. Montreal Gazette, March 22 2012: A committee of the Quebec National Assembly unanimously recommended Thursday that rules be established to shelter...

07 Mar 2012 How To Die In Oregon: Our Culture’s Dance with the Devil

DVD review by Jonathon VanMaren (www.reformedprolifer.com): Generally, people don’t like a story where all the main characters die. However, that is precisely the point of a new HBO documentary entitled How to Die in Oregon, which traces the lives—and deaths–of a number of people after the passage of Oregon’s notorious 1994 assisted suicide, or “Die with Dignity” law. The documentary begins with a morbid scene of a volunteer from an assisted suicide group called “Compassion and Choices” asking an old man surrounded by his...

14 Nov 2011 Dozens Gather on Steps of BC Supreme Court to Oppose Euthanasia

Well over a dozen ARPA readers joined a much larger group on the steps of the BC Supreme Court this morning, facing a multitude of TV cameras and reporters, to send a loud and clear message that Canada must close the door to state-sanctioned death by means of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The group assembled in response to the opening day of hearings in a case that has the potential to strike down Canada's laws against assisted suicide. Garett Vane, a member of Langley ARPA and one of the organizers of the demonstration, noted that he was impressed by the turnout of both the media and the many citizens who braved the cold to hold signs. "There is no doubt that this case is a big news story" he commented. "The press showed up already before 5:30 am." The demonstration was organized by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, which also has intervenor status in the case. At the time of writing this article, there were already over 100 news stories on the topic, according to Google News.

31 Aug 2011 Euthanasia on the CBC

ARPA Update: CBC Radio has posted the episode online. You can listen to it here. The Current, a morning program on CBC RadioOne, aired an episode about the challenge to the Canadian laws against assisted suicide this morning from 8:30 to 9:00. It sounded more like an endorsement for the practice than investigative journalism. ARPA Canada submitted the following letter to CBC: Good morning, I caught the last fifteen minutes of The Current this morning on CBC RadioOne on my drive in to work, as the interviewer was speaking with Grace Pastine, the litigation director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). The interviewer asked two questions. First: will physician-assisted suicide lead to the elderly feeling obligated to exit this life? Second: is legalized assisted suicide actually cruel to those suffering?

18 Aug 2011 A Sorta-Kinda Win on Assisted Suicide

André Schutten - We posted a note here a couple of weeks ago about a court case in B.C. challenging the criminal prohibition against assisted suicide in Canada. Yesterday, a different right-to-die group had their case tossed. But it's a small cause for celebration. The judge who tossed their case did so because the plaintiffs were anonymous. However, Justice Smith still encouraged the same group to join in on another case that she is also hearing, in which the B.C. Civil Liberties Association is challenging the same criminal prohibition:

06 Jun 2011 International Gathering on Euthanasia Examines Successes and Challenges

Dig deeper: Three updated articles by ARPA Canada about euthanasia are attached to this article. A representative from ARPA Canada and Langley ARPA were able to attend both days of the international symposium on euthanasia and assisted suicide last week in Vancouver BC. Quality speakers from around the world challenged us to see the gravity of the pro-euthanasia tide and the huge accomplishments that can be made when we respond effectively. What follows are some points we believe are worth sharing with our readership in regards to how to promote a culture of life in a country where the move towards euthanasia can seem inevitable: