This is a big week for what has come to be known by its shorthand as the Carter case in BC.
What is the Carter case? It's the case that was brought in the BC courts against the federal government by a group of individuals (supported by advocacy groups) over the right to die with dignity. The current case is actually the appeal by the federal government, as those suing for this right won their case, with the judge ordering that the government start crafting legislation within a year.
This is a right that I am passionately in favour of, and it irks me to no end that the federal government is not only fighting the appeal, but is doing so with just about the most asinine argument I've heard to date: one of the Crown lawyers apparently has balls made of solid brass, deciding to argue that sick individuals or people who have faced a traumatic injury who are considering "assisted suicide" are just scared of suffering, even though it's possible for them to cope. And I quote, "They are acting out of fear of the future." That right there is the perfect example of a paternalistic government interfering in the lives of individuals. "Aww kitten, you have a fatal boo-boo? Don't be scared, just suck it up!"
It drives me up the wall that self-determination is only a right so long as you are doing things only in the manner prescribed by a bunch of strangers who have no connection to the dying person, and whose "prescription" is based on manipulation of emotions, misleading on facts and data, or imposing their personal beliefs on society as a whole.
The Carter case is a sign of hope; another sign is that the Quebec government is moving forward to decriminalize medical hastening of death. Since Sue Rodriguez brought her own case to the Supreme Court of Canada, raising the issue in the public mind, there has been steady and overwhelming support for the right to die. This isn't rocket science...there are several jurisdictions around the world already doing there, and there is clear data, as well as several different policies to study in order to find the right fit for Canada.
Self-determination...
...Wish you were here.
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