February was particularly paradoxical ... and disturbing. Although the month began with Suicide Prevention Week<\/a>\u00a0with its theme \"Suicide is not an option<\/em>\", it ended with loud claims from all political parties that the Quebec\u00a0Euthanasia Law should be\u00a0extended so that it can offer the \"option\" of medical suicide to people with a form of dementia...<\/p>\n It all strarted with the murder of a woman with Alzheimer's disease<\/a> in Montreal which resulted in new pressure to extend euthanasia, this time to make it accessible to persons unable to give informed consent. Although the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy is still ongoing, although the man in question admitted to having \"cracked [because] nobody asked me how I was doing\", all political parties have jumped on this occasion to draw their own conclusion: the government should extend euthanasia to people unable to give informed consent.<\/p>\n Living with\u00a0Dignity<\/em>\u00a0of course rose\u00a0up against\u00a0this poisonous logic. We quickly issued a press release<\/a> denouncing the Quebec government's eagerness to consider euthanasia instead of questioning the lack of resources to support caregivers who care for a loved one suffering from a dementia like Alzheimer's. At the same time, I published a text<\/a>\u00a0to warn against our society's view of people made vulnerable by sickness, old age or disability, which now tends to\u00a0classify them in a category of \"unworthy\" persons.<\/p>\n Yet at the beginning of the month, the Netherlands had provided us with a shocking example of the consequences to be foreseen if Quebec law is extended to persons suffering from mental illness by means of an advance directive when\u00a0a woman has been euthanized against her will<\/a>. Indeed, one of the problems raised by extending the law to people who are not able to make a decision because of their mental illness is that there will be no way to ensure that the initial written request\u00a0still reflects the will of the person at the time of his killing by a physician.<\/p>\n Be assured that Living with\u00a0Dignity<\/em> will continue to raise his voice and to be the echo of your voice in the debate around this thorny issue which, once again, puts our society at risk of being disfigured. We count on your support<\/a> and encourage you to participate in the debates by calling the open lines, by writing to reporters, by\u00a0contacting your local MNA<\/a>\u00a0and by writing your comments under the articles that promote our vision.<\/p>\n I thank you in advance for your support.<\/p>\n In solidarity,<\/p>\n ______________________________<\/p>\n Aubert MARTIN, executive director, Living with Dignity<\/p>\n <\/p>\n News in Quebec<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n News in Canada<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Living with Dignity in the media (English and French)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Take Action in March<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Press Review (English and\u00a0French)<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Euthanasia and assisted suicide news around the world\u00a0(English and French)<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Videos to watch (French and English)<\/b><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/files\/civicrm\/persist\/contribute\/images\/Photo%20Aubert_site.JPG\")
<\/a><\/span><\/span>A Word from the Director<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/vivredignite.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/files\/civicrm\/persist\/contribute\/images\/Signature%20Aubert.jpg\")
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