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Brittany Maynard

Support for dying with dignity on the rise

» How the issue of euthanasia is changing both within and beyond Canadian borders

Mercedes Deutscher
Staff Writer

controversial issue, long-

debated, has risen again: the : new face of a growing pro-

: euthanasia/assisted-suicide

: movement, a movement that
: hasn't received this much

: attention since the case of Dr.
online. Maynard, 29, learned this : Jack Kevorkian in 1999. She has
: received praise and criticism

: alike. Many are commending

: her choice, and are using

: her as an example as to why

: assisted suicide should be

: legalized within the US (and

: internationally).

issue of euthanasia and assisted
suicide.

A few weeks ago, the story
of Brittany Maynard went viral

past January that she had Stage
2 brain cancer and was given a
humbling prognosis of 10 years
to live. In April, a few months
after a partial craniotomy and
several other procedures, she and
her family were shocked when
they were told that Brittany’s
cancer had progressed to Stage
4. She was given six months
to live. After researching all of
her options, she, her newlywed
husband, and her family moved
from San Francisco to Oregon.
The reason? Oregon is
one of five states (the others
being Washington, Vermont,
New Mexico, and Montana)
that permit physician-assisted
suicide. Maynard, seeing no
other options that would prevent

death, wanted to die on her own
terms. She plans on dying in her
home, surrounded by family and

stated to CNN, “I’ve had the
medication for weeks. I am not
suicidal. If 1 were, I would have

: consumed that medication long
: ago. I do not want to die. But I

: am dying. And I want to die on

: my own terms.”

Maynard has become the

However, several groups

have emerged to challenge the

: legalization of euthanasia. From
: amore religious perspective,

: Maynard is being condemned

: for taking her life into her own

: hands instead of letting it run

: its course. Other groups are

: placing blame on the doctor who
: prescribed the medication that

: will end her life, saying that what
: they are doing is murder. Other

: groups are challenging that the

: legalization of assisted suicide
her from dying a slow and painful : will allow for manipulation of the
: system and will allow for people

: to be involuntarily coerced into

: taking medication that will end

friends, on November 1. Maynard : their lives.

Maynard’s case has brought

: the issue of assisted suicide into
: international spotlight, and

: will undoubtedly be referred to
: as nations worldwide continue
: to discuss its legalization.

: Euthanasia (directly ending

: the life of a terminally ill and

: suffering patient) is legal in

: the Netherlands, Belgium, and
: Luxembourg, while assisted

: suicide (giving a terminally

: ill and suffering patient the

: means to end their own life

: through medication) is legal

: in Switzerland, Germany,

: Albania, Columbia, Japan, and
: the aforementioned US states.
: Nations that are currently

: contemplating legalizing such
: acts are watching closely to see
: how these laws affect the public.
: One of the nations currently :
: considering legalizing assisted

: suicide is Canada. The plaintiffs
: in the 2012 BC Supreme Court

: case of Carter vs. Canada

: (consisting of Gloria Taylor, a

: woman suffering from ALS, and
: Lee Carter and Hollis Johnson,

: both of whom have mothers with
: terminal illnesses) stated that

: the illegality of assisted suicide

: is unconstitutional, denying

: a person’s right to life, liberty,

: and security of person outlined
: in Section 7 of the Charter

: of Rights and Freedoms. The

: Supreme Court did not makea

: decision that would affect the

: province, but did allow Taylor a
: constitutional exemption that

: would allow her to pursue a

: physician-assisted death. :
: The laws prohibiting assisted :
: suicide in Canada are now being :
: revisited in a case involving the

: Supreme Court of Canada, in

: memory of Taylor, and Carter’s

: mother, who have both passed

: away since the 2012 case. This

: will be the second time that the

: Supreme Court of Canada is :
: hearing a case regarding assisted :
: suicide; the first time occurring :
: in 1993 when Sue Rodriguez, a

: mother suffering from ALS, also

: challenged the law by calling

: it unconstitutional. In a 5-4

: decision, the Criminal Code

: stance on assisted suicide was

: upheld.

Prime Minister Steven

: Harper has said, “The

: government of Canada at

: this time has no intention of
: reopening that debate.” Yet if the :
: Supreme Court decides to rule in :
: favour of assisted suicide, then

: the Canadian government will

: be expected to amend the law to
: allow for assisted suicide.

While the rest of Canada

: waits for a decision to be made,

? Quebec has made a decision on

: its own. This past June, Quebec

: legislation passed Bill 52, An

: Act Respecting End-of-Life

: Care. This law will come into

: effect in late 2015, and will allow
: consenting terminally ill patients :
: who are suffering and who

: have no further options to save

Maynard stated

to CNN, “I’ve had
the medication

for weeks. I am

not suicidal. If I
were, I would have
consumed that
medication long
ago. I do not want to
die. But Iam dying.
And I want to die on
my own terms.”.

: their life to access a physician-

: assisted suicide. While it has

: been challenged by anti-assisted
: suicide groups, the new law is

: expected to stay in place.

With the current Supreme

: Court case and Quebec’s recent

: change, it would be reasonable to
: predict that assisted suicide may
: become legal soon throughout all
: of Canada. If the United States

: and Canada, along with the

: nations where death with dignity
: for the terminally is already
legalized, what will happen with

: the rest of the world regarding

: euthanasia and assisted

: suicide? It is apparent that

: attitudes towards this issue are

: changing as the world becomes

: increasingly secular and liberal.