Canada is a beautiful country. When our sons were playing hockey, we had the opportunity to visit there often. While sometimes we came home disappointed in the outcome of the games, we were always delighted by the beauty of the land. That has not changed.
What has changed, and is continuing to change, is the culture. The latest is their attitude regarding assisted suicide. Actually, assisted suicide (which they call Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) has been legal in Canada since 2016. Are you shocked? You shouldn’t be. Oregon was first out of the box in the United States to legalize medically assisted suicide in 1997, followed by California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. Montana is somewhat uncommitted on the subject, ruling only that its state law does not prohibit medically assisted suicide.
Creating the euphemisms “Death with Dignity” and “Medical Assistance in Dying” lessens the impact of the goal: dying before the Lord says, “Come home.”
So, what has me paying attention to this, particularly today? Canada is proposing to permit children to decide that they want to die. Here is that oxymoron I mentioned in the title. They are proposing expanding their MAID laws, euthanasia, to include “mature minors.” I thought one of the things that identified humans of a certain age as “minors” was their lack of maturity.
Up to this time, MAID was available only to those with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition.” However, in 2021, they changed the law so those with a mental illness such as depression and personality disorders will be eligible after March 17, 2023. Disabilities are also considered. And then there’s MAID for Minors. I’m going to quote a portion here from the Parliament of Canada AMAD Committee Report.
BACKGROUND
MAID for Minors in Canada and Internationally
In Canada, a person must be at least 18 years old to access MAID. However, minors with the requisite capacity are generally entitled to make their own healthcare decisions.115 The exact parameters of minor consent to healthcare vary by province. A Canadian Paediatric Society study cited by several witnesses shows that pediatricians have been fielding questions about MAID for minors.116
Minors can legally access MAID in only a few jurisdictions worldwide. In the
Netherlands, MAID is allowed for minors aged 12 and over, and may soon be expanded to include younger children.117 In Belgium, there is no minimum age, so long as the minor has the requisite capacity.118 As noted by several witnesses, the number of minors accessing MAID where it is legal is very low.119
What is a “Mature Minor”?
The term “mature minor” refers to a common law doctrine according to which “an
adolescent’s treatment wishes should be granted a degree of deference that is reflective of his or her evolving maturity.”120 This doctrine was endorsed by the Supreme Court of Canada in A.C. v. Manitoba (Director of Child and Family Services). According to Bryan Salte, “the discussion around the Council of Canadian Academies table was that ‘decisional capacity’ is a much better term than ‘mature minors’ because ‘mature minors’, as a legal term, is understood by lawyers and judges, but is not so clearly understood by members of the public.
Jay Potter, Acting Senior Counsel, Department of Justice, suggested that Parliament may need to define “mature minor” if MAID is expanded to this group.
If you would like to read more about this, you can use this link and scroll to page 54. I suggest you continue reading, as on page 55 you see “One of the most resounding messages from witnesses was the need for greater engagement with directly affected youth and their families on the topic of MAID for mature minors, including youth with terminal illnesses, youth with disabilities, youth in the child welfare system and Indigenous youth.” (Emphasis mine.)
An article dated October 14, 2022, by Andrew Phillips, columnist for the Toronto Star, carries the subtitle, “Death by doctor is no longer rare, as we head toward a system that kills people because they’re desperate or disposable or too costly to keep alive.” He ends his comments with “To state the obvious, or what ought to be obvious: we should not have a system that kills people because they’re desperate or disposable or too costly to keep alive. But right now we’re heading toward something like that, and it seems we don’t know how to stop.”
Should you think of dismissing this as something that’s just in Canada, remember that our minors can receive transgender chemicals and surgery without parental approval, or even knowledge. Now, before it gets a foothold in the United States, is the time to contact your Representative and Senator to let them know not to go down this terrible path. As I say on the back cover of my book, Who’s Got Dibs on Your Kids?, “plenty of people think they have dibs on your kids. And plenty of Pied Pipers are ready to lead them away. Are you ready to give them up?”