Legalizing assisted suicide will endanger seniors
Editor:
Re: Christopher Foulds’ column of June 19 on B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lynn Smith’s decision to strike down the law banning assisted suicide (‘Is it truly better to force suffering to the inevitable end?):
Assisted suicide should not be legal because older people are at great risk for abuse.
In my experience as a licensed practical nurse working with older people in home care, I have come across many situations.
I have seen firsthand a family fighting over the will of their parents while they were still alive.
I see this greatly affects the way parents feels as they grow older. They feel as if the family wants them to die so they can have their money.
Some express the pain that they feel when they see loved ones discussing their money as if they have already passed away.
If assisted suicide was legal, some older people would feel the need to say yes to dying because they would be given the message they are a burden to their family.
Some of these older people can be easily convinced and put their trust fully in their caregivers and families.
If assisted suicide were legal, some would really not make the decision, but let someone else make the decision for them.
How is this right?
Especially when older people have money or real estate, our laws against assisted suicide are there to protect them.
Changing the law to allow assisted suicide would violate their right to be protected in this way.
Arlena Vane
Aldergrove
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