Assisted suicide offered to homeless people in Canada

[gnarlynarwhal]

I came across an article online about this earlier today and I’m shocked this is seen as acceptable by so many people in Canada. It’s advertised on the tv over there as if it’s a perfectly acceptable thing to do. The National Post is claiming that one third of Canadians think that it’s perfectly acceptable to approve medical assistance in dying ‘MAID’ to healthy people purely because they are impoverished. I find it really saddening.

Really? Anyone? Would you say the same if they were young? As long as they're adults, it's okay? If someone is depressed and 16, should they be assisted to end their lives? If they're 35 and just lost their job and don't know how they're going to make it to the end of the month, should they be assisted to end their life?

Or do you really mean if anyone wants to die, they should be helped to die?

That’s shocking.
What next, concentration camps and enforced euthanasia for those deemed not worthy of support and who are perceived to be a drain on resources?

You don't have to search far to find articles aligned with your preferred political leanings covering this. I've heard multiple examples from Canadian colleagues when I assumed the stories were just clickbait - they have seen it first hand and in their communities, include one colleague whose disabled veteran uncle had it suggested more than once by social workers who should have been helping him find suitable accommodation for his needs. He had family support to fight his corner, most in this situation don't have articulate and able advocates.

What was sold politically as humanitarian for the terminally ill is being promoted already to the poor, the disabled, the elderly and the generally inconvenient.

Its exactly why so many people who believe in the individual right to choose oppose legislation on this - Canada was promised all the safeguarding that is discussed in the UK.

Same. Canada seems to be leading the world in demonstrating how not to do many things.

I mean if someone wants to die for whatever reasons personal to them and assisted suicide is legal they should be allowed to obtain and use those services. It shouldn’t matter what when where why or how much money they do or do not have.

What of its a spur of the moment decision or if someone is different from depression or other forms of treatable mental illness ?
The may wish to die in that moment ,but that can change .

I’ve listened to some worrying stories from Canada from people middle age who just have depression and aren’t doing well in life. I listened to an interview from a man’s brother who was so heartbroken as he believed his brother was just going through a bad period. It seems so different to how I supported it. I think it would be good to help people with terminal illness who are in lots of pain. Not for people who are depressed and likely to recover.

Unless I have very much misread the article, it seems your post title is misleading.

It's not "being offered" to homeless people. There was a survey, and a section of those surveyed believe MAID should be available to anyone, regardless of their condition/s or lack of. It looks like a question in the survey might have been around "should MAID be available to a person whose only affliction is poverty or homelessness", and some people believed it should be. A sizeable section believe it should be available to anyone for any reason, so that makes sense.

This is sensationalised.

I’ve worked with the homeless in the uk now for nearly 30 years. I don’t know of one who would take up this offer. They get treated awfully. Urinated on, defected on and vomited on every weekend. They get kicked. Spat. Hit.

yet there’s also a strange sense of comradely. They look out for each other and form really strong friendships and communities.

every single one of them has severe trauma and a reason as to why they’re on the streets.

Yet I still don’t know if any that I know taking up an offer like this.

Has Suella moved to Canada?

I'd like to know more about the polling etc etc

Exactly.
A person I know attempted suicide while living rough.
He was found by chance by a walker and spent a long time in ICU.

He is so glad he survived.
He has so much to offer, a wonderful humane person.
At that time, in a time of grief and having “ lost everything “ he felt suicide was the only way out.

Thank goodness he was found in time and the NHS helped him.

Your title 'Assisted suicide offered to homeless people in Canada' is bollocks, though. The article says nothing of the sort.

What it says is that one-third of people (and it was a tiny poll of only 1,000 people) said they thought it was OK for people to be granted assisted suicide for that reason. That doesn't mean it would be legal or that it will ever happen. You're acting as if you think the homeless are going to be rounded up and euthanised against their will like stray dogs.

The last two polls I saw of the British public on the subject of capital punishment showed 55-60% of Britons said they think we should bring back the death penalty, but that doesn't mean it's actually happening. Your post is just inflammatory bullshit.

This is horrifying.

Imagine thinking it would be OK to just kill someone to put them out of their misery instead of helping them out of poverty instead?

I'm in favour of assisted dying in certain cases of terminal illness, but this is horrendous.

You don't see any problem with that? No ways in which that could be abused or exploited? No issues with people dying who, if they had lived, would have gone on to sort out their issues and be happy? No questions about how it might affect society if everyone who wanted to die was able to just walk into a clinic and end their life?

The only issue you have is that people shouldn't be excluded from dying on the basis of not being able to afford it?

Honestly, I think that it being horrendously expensive is a pretty good safeguard.

They're probably the ones who read the article. The OP has either got the wrong end of the stick or totally misrepresented this.

The two aren't mutually exclusive though. It isn't an either/ or situation.

Not at all. Who's going to do all the menial work and scare the middle classes into keeping in line then?

Offering assisted suicide offered to homeless people but not well off people sends the message that the homeless are expendable.

How would you like it if I offered you assisted suicide due to an aspect of your life? What next, the colour of your skin? Your religion?

So 1/3 of Canadians think this is ok, that means that the majority dont

A disabled woman in Canada asked for a ramp to be put in her home. They said no can do but we can offer you assisted suicide instead.

Trudeau is a deeply evil man.

I had the same thoughts after reading.

It is just a poll which @gnarlynarwhal is stating as fact.

Doesn't even say how many people were polled and how it was done.

If they are going to be so indignant about something should get the facts rights first!

What with a free end of life trip to Rwanda thrown in?

Wow. That is astonishing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/09/02/canada-paralympian-christine-gauthier-stairlift-euthanasia/

Dear God, don’t tell Sue Ellen.