This morning the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that in certain cases doctor assisted suicide should be allowed. My response; it is about time.
If you walked through or spent any time in the geriatric ward of any hospital you would be disgusted; there is no way on earth you would let a dog or cat live the way we force many of our seniors and elders to live.
In spite of the Supreme Court of Canada’s views on the topic, the Institute for Canadian Values, is “saddened by the Supreme Court of Canada’s action to strike down the ban on assisted suicide.”
ICV President Dr. Charles McVety says “life is too precious to allow a doctor to kill.” This is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath where doctors swear ‘I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.’ It is sad to think that people suffering will now have to contend with the pressure of making a decision on ending their life, instead of fighting to continue.”
I understand his point of view but I respectfully disagree with his opinion. Why is it that if you left a dog or cat or a horse to die a prolonged and painful death you would very likely be investigated for cruelty to an animal and yet it is acceptable to let our elder citizens endure a pain-filled existence?
Assisted suicide is clearly not a simple issue and there is no one-size-fits-all change that can take place. It will be interesting to see how the government addresses the findings of the Supreme Court of Canada.