Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Helping People Die Well

A link to an interview of Dr. Jose Pereira who is in charge of palliative care at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Pereira had spent 3 years as a palliative care specialist in Switzerland and explains how assisted suicide completely changed the application of end-of-life care in Switzerland.
In this video Helping People Die Well Dr. Jose Pereira tells of the slippery slope of assisted suicide.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Press Release - Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) Opposes Bill C-384

18 June 2009
For Immediate Release
Winnipeg—The COUNCIL OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES (CCD) believes that everyone who supports disability rights should oppose Bill C-384 which would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide and put Canadians with disabilities at risk! CCD is a national human rights organization of persons with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada.
C-384, the private member’s bill to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada received its first reading last month. Bill C-384 was introduced by the Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament - Francine Lalonde. This is Lalonde’s third attempt to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.
Bill C-384 legalizes euthanasia by amending section 222 of the Criminal Code and it legalizes assisted suicide by amending section 241 of the Criminal Code.
“Called the “Right to Die with Dignity” Act, this bill threatens the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Its selling points are the notions of “dignity,” and “suffering.” However, the bill never explains what these terms mean. How do we measure dignity? What is suffering?” states Rhonda Wiebe, Co-Chair of CCD’s Ending of Life Ethics Committee. These terms are based more on social values than scientific ones, but this bill proposes that a “medical” and “legal” solution be the remedy for people whose lives are not “dignified” and who “suffer.”

“Living without dignity and suffering are common misperceptions that able-bodied Canadians have about the lives of their fellow citizens with disabilities. Bill C-384 does nothing to protect those who find themselves socially devalued in these ways,” states Dean Richert, Co-Chair of CCD’s Ending of Life Ethics Committee.

Social support and meaningful involvement in the community are more important for the well-being of people with disabilities than the severity of their disabilities. Assisted suicide is not a free choice as long as they are denied adequate healthcare, affordable personal assistance in their communities, and equal access to social structures and systems.

-30-

For More Information Contact:

Rhonda Wiebe—204-779-4493
Dean Richert—204-951-6273
Laurie Beachell—204-947-0303

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition response to Bill C-384

I recently received this very important e-mail from Alex Schadenberg Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. Please read

From: Alex Schadenberg
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 4:51 PM
Subject: Responses to Bill C-384

Please consider supporting the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition campaign to Stop Bill C-384.
You can send an email to the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition at euthanasiaprevention@on.aibn.com and we will forward it to your member of parliament.
You can donate by paypal at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/
Please read the material and decide how you can help EPC Stop Bill C-384. We have also attached the press release from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition response to Bill C-384
On May 13, 2009 Francine Lalonde MP (BQ - La Pointe-de-l’Île) introduced private members bill Bill C-384: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity).
Bill C-384 would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada for people who experience physical or mental pain or people who are terminally ill.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) needs our supporters to meet with their member of parliament (MP) during the summer months to dispel the myths about the Bill, to explain our talking points about the bill, and to find out the exact position of your MP on the issues.
When you meet with your MP it is good to go with a friend or another member of the group that you are representing. Your MP will recognize the importance of the meeting when you are not alone and/or representing a community group.
It is important to meet with your MP during the summer simply because they will be in the community and available to meet with constituents.
At the end of the meeting, we have a questionnaire that you can ask your MP to fill out in order to determine their position on the issue.
Please contact EPC for a copy of the questionnaire.
Please send EPC the comments by your MP during the meeting. We need to know the position of every MP.
If you are unable to meet with your MP we would then ask that you send a letter to your member MP and/or organize a postcard campaign in your community or group.
We have a sample letter to your MP on our website at http://www.epcc.ca/. Please, if possible, make minor adjustments to the sample letter to ensure that your MP doesn’t view your letter as a form letter.
Hand-written letters are more effective than postcards, but since many people will only respond in a simple manner, the postcards indicate to your MP that many people in their riding are opposed to Bill C-384.
The postcard campaign should be co-ordinated in September or October due to the fact that the first hour of debate on Bill C-384 will take place in late September.
EPC sends out the postcards for a donation of $10 per 100 postcards + postage.
EPC is also designing a website to Stop Bill C-384. It will include all information, news articles and up-to-date responses to the Bill.
We will defeat Bill C-384 if we work together and recognize that there are common issues for all people.
For more information, or to keep up-to-date on the issues related to Bill C-384 go to our website at: http://www.epcc.ca/

Bill C-384 - Dispelling the myths.
During the debate surrounding Bill C-407 debate we found that there were common myths that were promoted by the media and the Dying with Dignity - euthanasia lobby. EPC expects that similar myths will be promoted during the Bill C-384 debate. These are the five most common myths.
Myth #1: This bill is about a right to die with dignity.
Truth: This bill does not create a right to die with dignity, in fact it is not about dying with dignity or palliative care, it is about giving the power to a physician to directly and intentionally cause the death of individuals.
This bill is about allowing a medical practitioners to be directly and intentionally cause the death of another person by lethal injection.
Myth #2: This bill legalizes assisted suicide.
Truth: Bill C-384 amends section 222 and 241 of the Criminal Code
This bill legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Myth #3: This bill is limited to terminally ill people.
Truth: Bill C-384 states that people who experience physical or mental pain or terminally ill would be eligible for euthanasia or assisted suicide.
This bill also allows people who experience chronic physical and mental pain to die by lethal injection and it does not define terminally ill.
Myth #4: This bill is limited to competent people who are not depressed.
Truth: This bill measures competency based on "appearing to be lucid". To appear to be lucid does not mean a person is actually competent, only that they appear to be.
This bill is not limited to people who are actually lucid and would allow people who experience chronic depression to die by euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Myth #5: This bill is not a threat to the lives of people with disabilities or other vulnerable people.
Truth: This bill allows euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with chronic physical or mental pain, based on whether or not they "appear to be lucid". Many people with disabilities experience chronic physical or mental pain.
This bill directly threatens the lives of vulnerable people with disabilities especially when the medical practitioner, has a negative perception of disability. It allows euthanasia for physical and mental pain and it does not define terminally ill.

Bill C-384 - Talking Points
When communicating with a Member of Parliament it is important to focus on the main points of concern. Bill C-384 is a dangerous bill. There is nothing redeeming or worth amending in this bill. Nonetheless, we need to remain focused on why the bill is so bad.
Definitions:
Bill C-384 legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Euthanasia is the act of one person directly and intentionally causing the death of another person, usually through medical means. In the case of euthanasia it represents one person doing the act to the other person, usually by lethal injection.
Assisted Suicide is when one person is directly and intentionally involved with causing the death of another person. In the case of assisted suicide it represents one person aiding, abetting or counselling the suicide death of the other person.
Main Points:
Point #1 - Bill C-384 is not about a right to die with dignity. The bill does not create greater access to excellent end-of-life care and it doesn’t create a right to die.
Bill C-384 gives a medical practitioner the right to directly and intentionally cause the death of another person.
Point #2 - Bill C-384 is not about creating more end-of-life choices for the terminally ill.
Bill C-384 does not promote palliative care, it does not enhance services for people with disabilities or chronic conditions. Bill C-384 is about giving medical practitioners the right to directly and intentionally cause the death of another person by lethal injection.
Point #3 - Bill C-384 doesn’t provide any effective safeguards for vulnerable people. Consider the following:
Bill C-384 is not limited to the terminally ill, but permits people with chronic physical or mental pain to die by lethal injection.
Bill C-384 does not define terminally ill.
Bill C-384 defines competency based on "appearing to be lucid". It does not require a person to actually be lucid.
Bill C-384 permits medical practitioners to lethally inject people who are incompetent, so long as they stated their intentions while "appearing to be lucid".
Bill C-384 does not require that individuals try effective treatments before receiving a lethal injection.
Bill C-384 permits people with chronic depression to die by lethal injection, even when they have rejected effective treatments.
Bill C-384 permits foreign suicide tourists to die by lethal injection in Canada.
STOP Bill C-384

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Letter to Dr. Dawkins from my sister

Dear Dr. Dawkins, I wanted to thank you for your book the "God Delusion". If you had not written this book, I most probably would have not had the following experience. First of all, I haven't actually read your book, but recently my daughter and I were having a discussion about faith and why I believed in God. She recently graduated with a biology degree and we had quite the conversation about my faith, about you, and what you believe, based on what she knows about your book. Just after this discussion, one of my sisters told me about a lecture she had attended, given by Dr. Lau from Ottawa here where I live. I listened to Dr. Lau's talks and have been going through his slides with a fine tooth comb. I must tell you that Dr. Lau's talk has not only confirmed for me why I believe in God, but they also have made me literally excited about my Catholic faith. Dr. Lau's talks are based on your book, physics, biology, logic, scientists and many philosophers including St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest philosophers mankind has ever known. Without your book, Dr. Lau would not have ever given this series of lectures (as there would have been no need to ), and I would never have benefited from them. http://www.stagustinemp3.org/Tim_Lau_Talk2.html I am quite sincere when I say thank you for writing this book. I am sure I am not the only Christian who has benefited from it, albeit as a result of unintended consequences. In fact it begs the question, have non-believers also been converted to Christianity because of your book?

Patricia Maloney,
Ottawa, ON

Monday, June 15, 2009

Happy Anniversary Mike

I can't believe it is 41 years today. I love you Mike.

Thank you everybody for all the good wishes. Mike took me to Al's Steak House for dinner and this is something that has become a tradition on our Anniversary. It's not cheap at Al's but you certainly get a mouth watering steak and their salad dressing is really good too.
Moe Moe

ADULT FAITH EDUCATION SERIES:THE GOD DELUSION and other errors in logic

Given by Dr. Tim Lau at St. Augustine Parish, February 5th, 12th and 19th, 2009
Dr Lau is the vice-chair of the Ottawa Catholic Physicians Guild and the Interim President of the newly formed Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians’ Societies.

With the rise of militant Atheism in the last few years, Dr Lau’s lecture series comes at a very opportune time. He illustrates the limitations of the scientific/ reductionist approach in explaining reality, and makes rational arguments as to why an all-powerful and all-knowing God makes sense. This series will provide believing Christians clear reasons to refute the rhetoric of modern Atheists.
for links to Dr. Lau's talks click here

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Soccer in Orleans and Lacrosse in Navan

How does our daughter Debbie do it? Last night Daniel had a soccer game in Convent Glen at 6:30 and Matthew had a Lacrosse game at 7:30 at the Navan Arena

I decided to accompany them. Two boys, two games, both on the same night and not that closely situated to one another. Debbie brought us all to Orleans to watch part of Daniel's game before departing to Navan. However, shortly after arriving she gets a phone call from leo saying that he is looking through the window of their house and sees Matthews bag with his equipment on the lawn in front of their house. Oops! By then Sean had arrived to watch Daniel's game. The plan being that he would stay with Daniel and take him home of course.

So back we went to retrieve the bag and head off to Navan . We stopped at Tim Horton's on the way for drinks and arrived at the Arena around 7:25. AnywaysI enjoyed the game. First Lacrosse game I had ever seen. What a work out though! Matthew seemed absolutely pooped after wards. Good stuff Matthew. You too Daniel!

So this goes on every week, twice a week because there are practices once a week as well. I must say that it's much easier being a grandmother.

Weekend in Gananoque with my sisters

What a great time gals. Thanks!!!

Pat picked me up Friday around noon and from my place we proceeded to Osgoode where we met Paula and Barbara. After going to the bathroom and grabbing a cup of very strong coffee we proceeded caravan style to the cabin we rented just outside of Gananoque. We arrived shortly after three and after emptying the cars it dawned on us just how much stuff we had when the two bedrooms, living room and kitchen looked lived in already and we had enough food for a week.

The cabin was really nice and we had a fairly good view of the Saint Lawrence River. We had lots of fun lots to eat and we all let our hair down which incidentally isn't exactly hard to do since we are the Maloneys.

On Saturday we drove into the town, after making a short unexpected jaunt on the much dreaded highway 401 and went down to the waterfront and enjoyed ice cream cones which were a treat from Barbie.

Afterwards we went to mass at Saint John Catholic Church located nearby. And what a surprise it was to see Father Keyes assisting at mass. After mass we had a short visit with our dear Father Keyes whom we have all known and loved since his days as pastor of Saint Anne's Parish in Lanark. Father now resides in a Retirement Home in Gananoque.

After mass we went back to our cabin and we had a great barbecue complete with Birthday brownies for Paula and a crazy sing-a-long! OH what a night!

Pat and I left Sunday and Barb and Paula came home yesterday. We had a wonderful weekend. Thank you God!