A Canadian bill to legalize euthanasia/assisted suicide demonstrates vividly where the “right to die” crowd wants to take society. The bill, C-407, does not require that the person who wants to be killed be terminally ill. It doesn’t even require that the suicidal person be physically sick. Severe mental pain will suffice. This is logical: If euthanasia is primarily about honoring autonomy and eliminating suffering (by killing the patient), then what does terminal illness have to do with it?
The bill also does not require that a doctor do the killing. Someone who is not medically trained can terminate the patient so long as he or she is under the supervision of a medical professional, whatever that might mean. This also makes sense since killing is not a medical act. I mean, can anyone imagine a bill permitting a non doctor to perform surgery so long as the non physician was somehow supervised by a doctor?
This bill is unlikely to pass. But don’t be surprised if it is used as the “bad bill” to make a bill that is more restricted appear like the moderate position.
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