By Dave Andrusko

Earlier today a friend was kind enough to forward me a letter to the editor that appeared in the Toronto Sun September 10 (www.torontosun.com/comment/letters/2010/09/10/15313606.html).

Under the headline, “Euthanasia and consent,“ the letter was written by Dr. William Reichel, who is identified as an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for Clinical Bioethics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine here in Washington, D.C. I bring it to your attention because it debunks some of the enduring myths propagated by pro-euthanasiaists and those who advocate assisted suicide, and because we’ve written about the same op-ed Dr. Reichel references-- a column by David Akin. (See
www.nrlc.org/NewsToday/QuebecAssistedSuicide.html).

There is so more beguiling assurance than the promise that implies “that legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia will allow Canadians to be ‘masters of their fate,’” a quote Akin borrowed from someone else. The classic counter-example is, of course, the Netherlands where your fate is often decidedly NOT in your own hands.

To quote from Dr. Reichel’s thoughtful letter,

“Dutch law calls for providing assisted-suicide and euthanasia with the patient’s consent. This is not, however, always done.

Indeed, over time, assisted suicide on a strictly voluntary basis evolved into allowing euthanasia on an involuntary basis. Euthanasia is also performed on infants and children, who are not capable of giving consent. The most recent year for which we have an official report from the Dutch government is 2005. The report is ‘spun’ to defend the Dutch law, but nonetheless concedes 550 patients (an average of 1.5 per day) were actively killed by doctors ‘without an explicit request.’ The report also concedes that an additional 20% of deaths were not reported to the authorities as required by that law.”

“Choice,” he concludes, is the “carrot” proponents use “to induce the public to believe these practices are somehow benign.

Those who believe that legal assisted suicide and euthanasia will assure their ‘choice’ are naïve.”

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