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September 10, 2014   Assisted Suicide, Canada

Assessing the Comments of Canada’s New Top Doc about Hastening Death

By Mark Davis Pickup

Dr. Chris Simpson (left with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.) Canada’s Liberal Party has an official position to decriminalize assisted suicide.

The new head of Canada’s Medical Association, Dr. Chris Simpson, has stated that doctor assisted death could be appropriate after all other choices have been exhausted. Really? He said there are enough doctors willing to kill their patients in this brave new world of post Hippocratic medicine.
Really! (See here.)
Dr. Simpson’s frightening comments hardly inspire confidence in me. I’ve been incurably ill for more than 30 years and disabled with the degenerative disease of multiple sclerosis. I can only hope that if I’m ever in a position where I can’t speak for myself the presiding physician won’t be one of the doctors Simpson mentioned. They may look at me and rightfully conclude I will never be normal and a burden on the health care system.

Mark Davis Pickup

I may have insufficient “quality of life” according to whatever utilitarian definition the presiding doctor decides to use. (God help me if Canada’s Supreme court rules in favour of assisted suicide next month, or a future government decriminalizes assisted suicide and euthanasia.)

Wesley J. Smith is one of North America’s top bioethical thinkers. He gave a blunt but accurate assessment of Dr. Simpson’s comments.  [Editor’s note. Wesley wrote, “I have zero respect for this argument. Zero. Better to advocate for outright legalization than engage in this cowardly charade.”]
Well said Mr. Smith, well said, and thank you. I can only hope I never encounter one of Simpson’s doctors willing to hasten my death. I want a natural death, not an imposed one!

Editor’s note. This appeared on Mr. Pickup’s blog.  Mark is a pro-life disability rights activist who lives in Canada. Mark and his wife, LaRee, have spoken at the annual National Right to Life Convention.

Source: NRLC News