Thanks, Scott Harris, for your response to my letter about assisted dying.
I realize that my letter was fairly aggressive and confrontational. That's because I think it's such an important issue with long-term implications, some of which we are already seeing in Canada.
The main confusion, as we can see in your response, is around the idea of "consent." Consent apparently now gives license for us to take someone else's life. This was not the case only a few years ago. As mentioned, it would have been called murder. This is a fact. What has changed?
Well, our values have changed. The sanctity of life used to be the highest value in Canadian culture and law. But now our individual autonomy (freedom to make our own choices) has bumped it from its rightful place. This has implications that most Canadians have not considered.
This is clear when you write, "If you don't want assistance dying, then don't apply for it." To me this attitude is frightening, because it's not that simple. There are many reasons why people want to die: depression, anxiety, chronic pain, low quality of life, addiction or relationship problems. Mr. Harris, you may have had times in your life when you wanted to die, and I may have had times in my life where I felt the same way. I'm thankful that we've so far lived in a society where life is always encouraged. But times are changing quickly.
Added to this, the concept of "consent" is full of difficulties, as we've seen in the #MeToo movement. Consent can be manipulated by people with power. If we can't see that this also applies to euthanasia, then we are perhaps blind to the realities of life.
Mr. Harris, you mention "subjective perceptions... and/or religious beliefs." I would challenge you to think about your subjective perception that human autonomy can be our highest moral and legal value. I would also challenge you to research what is happening in other countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands.
Tim Schouten
Prince George
