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Knowing that she will be the one left behind but not fighting this decision...what an enormous gift that mom is giving her daughter. I wish them both peace.
Here in Canada, our national Government has just been debating a bill that would allow for a person to choose when they can die..........If they are terminally ill or injured , and still capable mentally to make such a decision.
It will make it legal and acceptable for a Medical Doctor ( who agrees with the patient's wishes ) to assist. No religious arguments, no grandstanding by the antis. The bill has now been passed by committee and has been proclaimed as law.
I want to point out that here in Canada, we have a system with a strong central government, that can and does enact laws that are national in scope .
One of many examples, in comparison with the US, is the fact of a single national criminal code, that covers the entire country. If it is a criminal offence in Nova Scotia, it is also a criminal offence in all other parts of the country. Compare that to the 50 separate State criminal codes , plus the Federal codes, and you have a all most hopeless mish mash of legal conflicts.
More like we have choices to go to states where we can get what we need. Nothing hopeless about it and only a mishmash to someone looking to bash the U.S. Again.
I'm with MPowering on this and will rep his post if I can. I am a New York-admitted attorney and wish to respond courteously.
In Canada there are areas in which the provinces have greater control that U.S. states:
Amending formula - Effectively Ontario and Quebec have a hammerlock on amendments under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the "Charter");
Resources
Some language policy (very limited state involvement here)
Some immigration policy;
Ability to nullify Charter provisions for extendable five year periods;
Interprovincial tariffs (not legal between states) and
Except for the NDP separate political parties
I am sure there are others. In the U.S., in general, states have jurisdiction over crimes. Federal criminal jurisdiction is limited to the "interstate" variety of crime. In short, the U.S. has a very different history from Canada. Except for Newfoundland and Labrador, all of Canada was within a British colonial province or owned by Hudson Bay Company and known as Rupert's Land or Northwest Territories (I know, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, most of Ontario and most of Quebec eventually was hived off the Hudson Bay zones).
In the U.S there were major accessions to the U.S. that were not part of the 13 royal colonies, nor part of the original territories beyond those provinces. The Louisiana Purchase covered all of the drainage of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers west of the Mississippi River. Florida, the Republic of Texas, Mexican territorial acquisitions in the Mexican-American War, the Gadsden Purchase and division of Oregon Country into BC (to Canada) and Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana west of the divide (to the U.S.) meant that there were differences in laws and governing structures that had to be accommodated (or, in the case of Louisiana with the French language and Utah with polygamy restricted).
I am an admirer of Canada; and of my own country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by canadian citizen
To the subject of this poor girl. I cannot for the life of me understand the objectors. It's her choice to make, let her make it.
On the merits I couldn't agree more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by canadian citizen
Here in Canada, our national Government has just been debating a bill that would allow for a person to choose when they can die..........If they are terminally ill or injured , and still capable mentally to make such a decision. It will make it legal and acceptable for a Medical Doctor ( who agrees with the patient's wishes ) to assist. No religious arguments, no grandstanding by the antis. The bill has now been passed by committee and has been proclaimed as law.
But how much "debate" is there really when a majority Prime Minister can both whip the vote (ensuring passage) and "elbow" (literally) the opposition?
My roommate deals with chronic pain of varying levels from day to day. She went through a terrible period right before her second hip replacement where she was in excruciating agony for pretty much 24 hours a day and couldn't even sleep - she basically had no quality of life. It was awful. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and she's functioning better than ever. But having seen that kind of physical suffering, I can understand why this girl would make the decision she's made. There's a point where you just don't have any quality of life and you can't even think straight - the things that normally would give you joy no longer hold appeal and all your thoughts and energy are spent on coping with the pain. How on earth could you look forward to anything when you know that the awful pain you feel will never go away?
I respect and support her decision and am so sorry she is suffering like this.
Once it is passed, it will stay that way as a personal choice for a number of years.
Then it will become an standard of care option: If you have disease XYZ, you can have treatment A, treatment B, or you can take this pill and die.
Then, it will become standard of care: If you have disease XYZ, you take this pill and die, no treatment necessary.
Think it is far fetched? Think about it. It is the government -- not the medical community that is allowing it. It is a LAW that seems like a "choice."
Seriously, think about it.
Uhm no , it's legal in my state and the state next to mine and it is NOT like that .
Having said that I had an illness where I was unable to breathe on my own and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy , EVER .
I had to have help breathing like this young lady and suffocating is no way to go and I hope more than anything she is HEAVILY sedated to the point of sleep by Hospice before they do this .
It's things like this when I REALLY question "God".
Seriously. This slippery-slope nonsense is just that. It's like saying that lowering the speed limit to 55 mph was inevitably going to lead to a 1 mph speed limit, or that any taxation at all will inevitably lead to confiscation of all earnings. Not only is it not logical, it has demonstrably been shown and over and over that the slippery slope fallacy is called a fallacy for a reason.
Give it up already.
Except that this type of slope is already being seen in medical care. My post is based on actual factual evidence. Open your eyes. You can be prescribed drugs WITHOUT A DIAGNOSIS, guidelines no longer call for a diagnosis.
Once it is passed, it will stay that way as a personal choice for a number of years.
Then it will become an standard of care option: If you have disease XYZ, you can have treatment A, treatment B, or you can take this pill and die.
Then, it will become standard of care: If you have disease XYZ, you take this pill and die, no treatment necessary.
Think it is far fetched? Think about it. It is the government -- not the medical community that is allowing it. It is a LAW that seems like a "choice."
Seriously, think about it.
You never answered my question as to whether or not you have ever known anyone in this situation. What you hypothisize has not taken place in the states where people are legally allowed to choose their passing due to severe illness and suffering.
Why not study these real situations rather than speculate about them? Seriously, think about it.
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