Dear Editor:
Courts in Canada have become proficient at changing our laws and by now your readers are probably aware of Justice Christine Baudouin’s decision that you have the right to die by euthanasia when you are not facing imminent death, contrary to existing law.
This decision puts my life at risk as I have post polio syndrome and am the same age as the woman with post polio syndrome, not facing death, who was granted the right to be euthanized by her doctor.
Some “progressive” doctors who actively practice euthanasia and assisted suicide have been taking patients’ lives without their consent.
I, for one, feel concerned about going to hospitals or entering a nursing home where my life could be terminated without my consent.
Irma DeVries, CHP candidate in Perth-Wellington, states in her federal platform, “The most important human right is the right to life without which all the other rights are meaningless.” If we do not protect our vulnerable citizens, then we as a society will be judged accordingly.
As pressure for health care dollars escalate and beds are more in demand, will more elderly and disabled citizens be placed under more pressure to consent to euthanasia or will they unknowingly have their doctors change the orders from “do everything” to “do not resuscitate,” as happened in my own family.
The time for appealing the Baudouin decision runs out on Oct. 11, 2019, before the election.
This would be a first step in stopping and reversing judicial activism, but I pray that all euthanasia and assisted suicide will be outlawed.
It is time that we as a nation uphold God’s law, “Thou shall not kill” and protect vulnerable lives.
Pat Woode,
Fergus
(Editor’s note: In Canada, euthanasia patients must meet eligibility criteria put in place to safeguard vulnerable people. The patient must be mentally competent and give informed consent without external coercion. There is a mandatory reflection period of at least 10 days).