Forget the Slippery Slope — The Entire Cliff is Collapsing (HALO, 8/9/22 email)

Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior in Minnesota

FORGET THE SLIPPERY SLOPE —   THE ENTIRE CLIFF IS COLLAPSING By Anne O'Meara August 9, 2022    The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.1                                                                                                                                                                                  ~Confucius   I live in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, which shares a border with Canada — the land of 10,000 euthanasia deaths. Yes, unfortunately, it's true. In 2021, Canada exceeded 10,000 Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) deaths. Given that Canada legalized euthanasia just a few short years ago (2016), how is this possible? And why are so few people talking about this? On July 26, 2022, Canada's government released the third annual report on MAiD.2 The numbers are as staggering as they are dismal. Some key highlights:3 In 2021, there were 10,064 MAiD deaths which constituted 3.3% of all deaths in Canada — representing a massive increase in MAiD deaths of 32.4% over 2020. Since MAiD was legalized in 2016, there have been 31,664 MAiD deaths. The most frequent reasons for requesting MAiD did NOT include pain. Instead, the principal reasons for requesting MAiD included the loss of ability to engage in meaningful activities (86.3%) and the loss of ability to perform activities of daily living (83.4%). Inadequate pain control (or concern about pain), cited by 57.6%, came in a distant third. Note, the statistics did not differentiate between people who actually felt pain and people who only feared pain. Sadly, nearly one in five of the Canadians who died through euthanasia in 2021 requested MAiD because they were lonely — 17.3% cited "isolation or loneliness" as their reason for wanting to die, and in 35.7% of cases patients believed they were a burden to their loved ones. While the media is largely ignoring the government's MAiD annual report, "The stories of medical assistance in dying or MAiD are in the papers nearly every day now. [Some examples are] the woman whose long COVID caused financial loss, the 20-year-old man with a gastrointestinal condition, and the disabled woman who couldn't afford to live so chose death."4 (Please see the video below.) "Canada has gone all in for euthanasia, and it is going to get worse now that the strict guidelines to protect against abuse — in the movement's parlance — have expanded to people with chronic and disabling conditions, and will soon expand [in 2023] to those with dementia and mental illnesses."5 Why Should We Oppose Laws Permitting Euthanasia?  Proponents of euthanasia describe it as a "choice" but ensuring that euthanasia is entirely voluntary is impossible. Legalizing euthanasia leads people to begin expecting it of the sick and dying. Dependent patients may be made to feel "a duty to die" to relieve others of the expense and inconvenience of caring for them. It is important to recognize that laws which prohibit euthanasia protect the vulnerable who may be inadvertently or deliberately pressured to "choose" death.   Euthanasia deprives victims of time with family and friends and, most importantly, opportunities to make peace with loved ones and with God who speaks in a special way to the hearts of his children who are dying, whom he loves so much. Let's not cut that conversation short. A natural death is perhaps the most important part of life. Also, promoters of euthanasia insist that what they support is not "suicide." Evading the truth, they use softer terms – "death with dignity," "end-of-life option," "medical assistance in dying," etc. "If a change in public policy has to be promoted with euphemisms, doesn't this make it clear that the use of accurate, descriptive language makes the chilling reality too obvious?"6 We instinctively know that euthanasia is not dignified, not a choice to be encouraged or applauded. Nor is assisting another to kill himself or herself a praiseworthy act. This is a deadly game of "let's pretend." Don't go along with the game. Call MAiD what it is – the killing of vulnerable people by medical professionals with the sanction of those who make public policy. Everyone involved is complicit in these deaths by euthanasia. Someday they will be held accountable, as will we be if we remain silent. What's happening in Canada is horrifying. To some of you, it might seem that this could never happen in the United States. I wonder, however, if Canadians had known, back in 2016 (when euthanasia was first legalized in Canada) what euthanasia would look like in 2022, would the majority have embraced what we see today. If it can happen in Canada, it can happen in the United States. 1 Confucius: The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones - ReflectandRespond 2 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/medical-assistance-dying/annual-report-2021.html 3 https://bioedge.org/end-of-life-issues/euthanasia/canada-topped-10000-euthanasia-deaths-in-2021/ 4 (80) 'Do Not Euthanize' Advance Directive - YouTube 5 https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/10000-canadian-euthanasia-killings-in-2021/ 6 https://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/frequently-asked-questions/