EUTHANASIA IS NOT TREATMENT
by Sarah Sonne
May 20, 2009
Francine Lalonde, Member of Parliament from La Pointe-de-l'Ile, just tabled a Private Members' Bill called C-384: Dying With Dignity, that would broadly legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.
Among many things, Lalonde's bill allows for a clinically depressed 18 year old to be euthanized, so long as they appear to be in their right mind and make two written requests 10 days apart requesting to be killed.
However, if the pro-euthanasia movement considers depression a disease of the mind (something that Lalonde's bill reflects when she speaks of "chronic mental pain"), then how can a depressed person be "in their right mind" when they choose to be killed?
How will that decision effect our First Nations young men between 18 and 24, who currently already have the highest suicide rate in the world? Or our senior citizens, who have a depression rate of 30-40%? The 1995 American Psychology Journal found that 60% of patients expressing a wish to be euthanized were severely depressed; it also found that within two months over half had changed their minds. Tragically, under Lalonde's law all those people who would have changed their minds would already be dead.
Euthanasia is not treatment. And we cannot abandon the 13-14 million Canadians a year who struggle with depression, a treatable and manageable condition, by allowing euthanasia and assisted suicide to be legalized in our nation. I am urging the Government and all opposition parties to vote it down at second reading.
