Opinion -__ -Volume 80 Issue No. 49 Sb ieee TheReview — Wednesday, December 2, 1992 — AG The right to die: Time for legislative changes Choosing to end a life for which nothing awaits but the painful delay of death should not be deemed as a battle between terminally-ill patients, govemmment authonties, the Canadian Medical Association and radical organizations seeking something to protest. Across Canada this picture has painted many dying Canadians into a comer; leaving them alone to fight for their right to die with dignity. Although patients in Canada have the right to refuse medical treatment, assisting them in dying remains illegal. Physicians are obligated to administer therapeutic treatment to terminally ill patients, which in some cases is absolutely useless. In the case of a North Saanich woman there is no therapeutic treatment available and there is no medication that can be prescribed to temporarily case her pain and suffering. Sue Rodriguez is slowly dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Although the 42-year-old mother doesn’t want to end her life right now, when her time arrives she will likely be physically unable to take her own life. She is secking the nght to be assisted in her suicide. With the support of Right to Die Society’s executive director John Hofsess and Victoria lawycr Chris Considine, Rodnguez has chosen to fight, not only for herself but for future victims that are competent enough to make decisions about suicide but may be unable to take their own lives. Unfortunately the battle she has ventured into may not be resolved in time. It is not illegal to commit suicide in Canada, but section 241 of the Criminal Code makes it illegal for someone to aid in another’s suicide. Since doctors, politicians and the Canadian Court System are not in a hurry to update current laws and medical ethics over 1,000 Canadians live in persistent vegetative states kept alive by medical technology. Some of these cases are sensitive ones of course, but it is obvious Canada lacks a procedure which ensures that complex health-care decisions are made in the interest of a patient. Along with developing a law which will deal with the right of patients to refuse medical treatments, the federal govern- ment must also clarify more difficult questions of passive and active euthanasia. If a patient is granted the right to assisted suicide, it must be determined what the circumstances must be, who has the right to decide and what procedures need to be followed for those deemed eligible to receive lethal doses of painkillers. The legal responsibilities and rights of health-care workers involved in helping the dying must also be addressed. Last year, a Royal Commission on Health Care in B.C recommended that the province push for changes to the federal Criminal Code to allow some aspects of euthanasia. But piece-meal changes to legislation are not the answer when it comes to upholding the rights of terminally-ill patients across Canada. Perhaps it is time to strike down the appropriate section of the Criminal Code and poll doctors on their attitudes of the night to die. Sue Rodriguez may die before her case is ever resolved. But her fight will not be forgotten quickly nor easily by doctors, politicians, legal officials and terminally-ill patients across Canada. *h° Review Serving the Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 - First St. P.O. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C. V8L 3C9 Sidney, B.C. V8L3S5 656-1151 Publisher: Rory McGrath Editor: Glenn Werkman Reporters: Valorie Lennox Advertising: Corrie Morozoft Paul Wyke John Gelder Production Manager: Tamie Bowker Office Manager: Lori Fitzpatrick Circulation Manager: Wendy Denison AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER CCNA 4. Role pa ees DIA na pee “UN pe $e Se i é A ae e, a oe” (( S (eT Co TT OKAY, DAD- I'VE COUNTED 120 BOATS! NOW CAN WE GO MAKE OUR DONATION TO THE LIONS-REVIEW FOOD BANK AT SANSCHA HALL? \ E) SATURDAY DEC. & G@:0o P.M. fi pa fi SAIL - PAST FOOT OF BEACON AVE. Former mayors say no to docks Editor: We write to express our concem at the manner in which North Saanich council are dealing with applications to build private struc- tures on the public foreshore. In our days as mayors the over- riding right of the public to exclu- sive use of the foreshore was clearly recognized and private use was seldom if ever approved! It was certainly never approved in circumstances similar to those on Setchell Road, that is next door to a popular beach access. We believe this old long- standing policy best serves the interest of the great majority of residents and we deplore its appar- ent abandonment in deference to the demands of a small minonty. L. Michaluk, mayor ’88-’90, alderman one year. ~ J.B. Cumming, reeve and mayor *71-’78, alderman ’65- 71, 78-83. George Westwood, mayor, two years, alderman eight years. Eric Sherwood, mayor, ’80- ?81, alderman eight years. Lloyd Harrop, mayor, *86-’87. J.R. Rangel, mayor 781-783, alderman ’79-781. It's time to call it just another day Editor: The Kant’s Corner of Nov. 4 in the Victoria Weeklies struck a good chord with me (Time to ban Halloween). As a parent of five children, now young adults, I detested every time Haloween approached. Your article spoke well of some of the crime, wild parties, violence and destruction that goes on. It becomes a nightmare for par- ents, police and other law abiding citizens who try to organize other alternatives through community groups and churches. Bee ae ST TE EE Is it not time in our society, which is already violent enough, to call a halt to Halloween? If legislation stopping the sale of fireworks and the commericaliza- tiuon of Halloween cannot be cartied out, them the citizens of Canada need to rise up and say: “We've had enought, turn off the lights. Refuse to participate and call it another day.” Brian Holmes Brentwood Bay Complainants weren't served Editor: As current members of North Saanich Middle School staff and/or former colleagues of for- mer teacher Geoff Armstrong, we are compelled to reflect publicly on his aborted trial (Five assault charges stayed, The Review, Nov. 11). While Mr. Armstrong’s rights have been protected, the rights of the complainants have not been served. In an education system which encourages the building of trust and disclosure, surely such a dis- missal destroys young people’s credibility in the justice system. It also undermines the morale of a staff already under stress from the years of silence. Must a trial take place in the media rather than in the law courts? Will this set a precedent? Kim Andiel Ken Bergeron Doug Butterick Doug Caley Don Cameron Don Connors Sheridan Cooper John Costin Larry Corbett Bob Coulson Joanne Daly Terry Farrant Ken Foster Barry Hack Warren Hamm _ Lila Henry Barbara Henderson Jean Jordan Wayne Hunter Phil Large Rose Langstaff Dennis Lindoff John Martin __ Esther Miller Glynis McFrerran Mark Notte Pam Munch __ Nancy Miller Lynn Montgomery Delyth Morgan Chris VanGurp Delver Roach Brigitte Rathje Papadakis SS eS SE ES SASS SS Tanis Sommerfeld Christine Thomas George Waterman Painful end for a cherished pet Editor: I would like to direct this letter to the person who killed my dog. A few weeks ago our dog got out of our yard on West Saanich Road and wandered up into the new development area beside our prop- erty (Horth Hill). Someone decided to tie her to a fence witha piece of wire. When she didn’t come home for two-and-a-half weeks we feared she had been hit by a car or stolen. Our efforts to find her were in vain. We didn’t know at the time that she didn’t answer our calls because she was too weak to. In her efforts to break free, she managed to twist the wire around her leg. When a neighbor finally found her, she was emaciated to the point of near death. The wire on her leg had cut into her flesh to the bone and the wound had become gangrenous. If the vet had felt that she could have recovered her ordeal, she would have had to amputate her leg. Instead we felt 1t was kinder to have her put down. She was our family pet for eight years. What kind of a person are you that you would do such an inhumane, mindless, cruel thing? If you have any conscience at all (which we doubt) we hope that you lie awake nights thinking about how our Mandy spent the last two-and-a-half weeks of her life on this earth; no food, no water, exposed to the elements, and in pain. We couldn’t let this devastating incident pass without letting the community know what kind of a person is in our midst. Betty Anne Dobie North Saanich Continued on Page A8& eo