In a watershed decision the Supreme Court of Canada announced their ruling early today in Carter v. Canada which overturned the law prohibiting doctor assisted suicide in Canada. The ruling reversed the previous 1993 Supreme Court decision where the judges at the time concluded that it was the state's responsibility to "protect the vulnerable." Today they decided the opposite.
What does this mean practically?
It means that when the ruling takes effect it will be legal for Canadian doctors to help kill adults who are requesting to end their lives as long as they are deemed to be mentally competent and suffering intolerably (physically or psychologically). The parameters of what it means to be "mentally competent" or "suffering intolerably" is subjective.
The court has given Parliament 12 months to bring forth legislation in response to the ruling.
Justice Minister Peter MacKay issued a short statement saying the government will study the ruling. "This is a sensitive issue for many Canadians, with deeply held beliefs on both sides," MacKay said. "We will study the decision and ensure all perspectives on this difficult issue are heard."
Pro-family organizations across Canada were very vocal today expressing grave disappointment with the ruling (see links to some statements below). We add our agreement to this chorus of voices and wanted to give you some practical ways that you can respond at this juncture (see Action Points below).
MY Canada Director Faytene Grasseschi responded to the ruling today saying,
"Obviously no one would ever wish suffering on any other person. At the same time, we don't believe suicide is ever a beautiful thing or the best option. Our main concern with today's ruling is that it has the strong potential to create a culture in Canada where people who are elderly-sick and disabled are implicitly pressured to commit suicide because they feel they are a burden to society. One disabled person explained to us that when you give assisted suicide as an option to a disabled person it is hard for them not to see it as a suggestion that their life is less valuable than others. The fact is, the pressure of such a suggestion can be overwhelming to some and could cause them to choose assisted suicide when they otherwise would not have.
The more noble option for us as Canadians is to build a society where the elderly-sick and disabled feel wanted and are cared for with dignity and love until their natural death.
Finally, as a person who survived a terminal illness myself (auto-immune hepatitis) I would like to say I believe we should always leave room for a miracle. I don't believe any situation is ever truly hopeless. With God anything is possible. Let's continue to work for a Canada that values life and does our utmost to ensure people are valued, cared for and believed for."
If you agree we encourage you to take action today in a few simple ways.
ACTION STEPS
1 - SHARE - Please take a moment to share this important e-mail with your friends and colleagues. Click here to get an on-line version of this e-mail now that you can post on your Facebook walls or simply click the "Forward" button at the top right of this e-mail.
2 - SIGN THE PETITION - Please take a moment to sign the recently launched Lifesitenews petition here.
3 - EMAIL THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND THE PRIME MINISTER - Please take a moment to e-mail the Minister of Justice and Prime Minister to ask them to swiftly bring forth legislation to ensure that today's ruling does not leave sick-elderly and disabled Canadians vulnerable to potential abuses.
Their e-mails are: pm@pm.gc.ca, peter.mackay@parl.gc.ca, stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca, mcu@justice.gc.ca
Please also copy your personal MP. Click here to find your MP's e-mail by using your postal code.
Writing a letter in your own words is always the most effective when communicating with our leaders. However, if you are struggling with what to say, following is a sample letter you can use if you would like:
Dear Prime Minister and Minister of Justice,
I am writing today to express my deep concern with the Supreme Court of Canada's Feb. 6th ruling on doctor assisted suicide and it's potential to create a medical culture in Canada where vulnerable Canadians are implicitly coerced towards death because they feel they are a burden to society. I am also very concerned regarding the subjective nature of the terms "mentally competent" and "intolerable mental or physical suffering". I feel the Supreme Court's ruling today leaves elderly-sick and disabled Canadians extremely vulnerable to coercion abuse or at risk of making an irreversible, and regrettable, decision at a mentally low point in their life. Please do whatever you can to ensure that legislation is brought forth in the next 12 months to help safeguard against potential abuses.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue for Canadians.
With respect,
[Sign your name and address]
4 - VOTE IN POLLS - Several polls are currently being posted on-line by major news media outlets. Please take a second to vote on these polls and share them with your pro-life friends so they can vote as well. These polls are often time sensitive so be sure to vote, and share, promptly.
As of the sending of this e-mail there is a live poll on the Globe and Mail home page, right column.
5 - PRAY - Please pray fervently for our Parliamentarians to bring forth legislation within the 12 months granted by the Supreme Court of Canada. Pray that this legislation will protect Canada's vulnerable and uphold the value of life in our nation.
More Information: Reports From Today's Announcement:
Lifesitenews - BREAKING: Canada’s Top Court Rules Doctors Can Help Kill Patients; Overturns Assisted Suicide Law
Sun News - Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Doctor-Assisted Suicide (Article and Videos)
Arpa Canada - Euthanasia Supreme Court Decision: A Sacred Line Has Been Crossed (Article) & Some Initial Reflections on the Supreme Court of Canada Euthanasia Decision (Article and Videos
