Strange how the UK has lagged other countries on this issue. Canada may have gone too far with its latest proposed changes but medically assisted death is long-established here as an option.
1 Like
āI chooseā¦ to be dropped out of an airplane with no parachute.ā
Finally the No side got put out of their misery.
2 Likes
Sounds like a good idea, until folks will be killed because they canāt afford to heat their homes.
I think you missed the part of they have six months to live
Old age and ability to heat home is irrelevant.
Only serious illness is relevant.
Sure, itās like in July the doctor says you have 6 months to live ā¦ Because you are going to freeze to death when the weather gets cold in January.
I think in the US this would likely bring out the death panels crowd.
In the UK, the majority are in favour of assisted dying.
But like most places we have a very loud and annoying minority who think that their views are more important than the suffering of an individual person. Religion is a problem but it affects the UK less than the US.
The vote was actually much closer than expected because the minority went all in vis-a-vis lobbying.
1 Like
So is that what Canada was sold? What has it changed into?
I donāt know the Canadian specifics. Probably one for @Cooke
But in the UK, they put a lot of time into making sure there were adequate checks and safeguards. It was a big topic of discussion.
The arguments against this in the UK are based more on emotion vs rational thought.
And its usually done by people who have never watched a loved one die slowly over 6 months while continually being forced to live via forced medical interventions.
It really is a horrible way to die. Thats why I am in favour of giving those people a choice.
This is what needs to be fixed instead of adding medical interventions. Appropriate palliative care is the better answer.
And even people with limited imaginations are beginning to comprehend what granting the state further authority over life and death means in the slide to authoritarianism.
Not sure where you are going with this.
The entire point is to give the individual the freedom to make a choice.
This is the opposite of authoritarianism.
2 Likes
It will morph from āit is your free choiceā to āyou have no other choiceā. Ask about the disabled person in Canada who was provided the choice when they couldnāt find her appropriate housing.
Do you think the same folks who had the bright idea of saving money by cutting critical foreign aid are going to blanche when thinking about cutting live-saving aid at home? Sorry you are too expensive, hereās a pill.
The government website below is a good place to look at details. I have no concerns with the current rules but the proposed 2027 mental illness changes need to be considered carefully and may not happen. This is currently a low priority item because of Trump.
1 Like
Not surprising to me that the US also lags. Less than a quarter of the states have PAD laws. Mine is not one of them.
Recent NY Times article on the more controversial aspects of Canadaās MAID laws.
I asked my wife to fire my body from a cannon INTO Canterbury Cathedral after I die. For some reason she wonāt agree to this.
This is a tough edge case.
I have been through all encompassing nerve pain that was excruciating for several years, and I am not going to lie and say that I saw a lot of hope at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
I donāt really know what holds some people together (resilience) and what makes others give up.
I think that ultimately it comes down to knowledge (the better you understand your sources of pain the more hope you have for the future), resources (gives you the ability to get seen faster), and whether your condition(s) are terminal or not.
This lady seemed to have so many health problems its hard to pin down possible improvements or solutions. In her case it seems to have led to lack of hope for the future. Combine that with the delays to see a specialist and I can understand the frustration.
1 Like
Canada is much more like The Netherlands, and certain other European countries, than the US on medical issues with ethical considerations such as MAID and drug use. Canada being part of the EU makes more sense than becoming 51st state.
An Iowa senator has an answer for all of us. She is so kind and caring.