Re: “Rankin should reconsider assisted-dying law,” letter, March 3.
Twenty-three years ago, almost to the day, Sue Rodriguez killed herself with assistance, after the Supreme Court denied her petition to do so. It was then that I decided to look into the matter.
A book from the Hemlock Society spoke of a very gentle and effective way of ending one’s life without help. It is very similar to the method John Hofsess used to assist Al Purdy in his suicide. I am happy to have this knowledge, if and when I might need it. The nagging problem all of these years was the possible need of help if I were incapacitated. Now it seems the law is to be changed to fix this. Nice.
With these thoughts in mind, reading this letter was a bit of a downer, to say the least. Calling legally assisted suicide “this deplorable eugenicist death cult” is extremely repugnant. The comparison is, of course, to the Nazis’ “race purification” ideals, i.e. kill off the unfit and the mentally ill.
While telling us that 70 per cent of Canadian Medical Association doctors do not want to assist in their patients’ suicides, the letter-writer does not mention that a vast majority of Canadians are in favour of this compassionate care. And 30 per cent of the doctors will do just fine.
Logically, it boils down to one point: If you don’t agree with it, don’t do it. The rest of us want the option. Remember, the method used by Hofsess with Purdy is gentle, sure, no doctor present and most dignified.
Robert Matthews
Willis Point
