TAW122
Emissary of the right to die.
- Aug 30, 2018
- 6,933
Originally, I this was a thread that I didn't want to post, not because it wasn't CTB or RTD related (it actually is), but rather the fact that the subject is somewhat confusing and complex. As someone who is rather analytical and think abstractly as well as delve into detailed topics about CTB, RTD, or just about anything on this platform, I try to make things make sense. Given my knowledge about Graph Theory and Algorithms, I kind of take this kind of mindset when looking either at methods of CTB, the ways that one would still (feasibly) be able to die (either actively or passively), and many more.
Anyways, this thread will particularly focus on Canada's potentially changing political landscape. As an US Citizen, while things that happen in Canada generally affect Canadian citizens, they do (indirectly) affect the US and the world, and vice versa. (I stand corrected and while I'm not a Canadian citizen or follow as closely towards Canadian politics, I may be wrong on some facts, and if I am, then perhaps fellow Canadian citizens can feel free to correct me). This is true with all things in the real world too, however, to be more specific, about Canada's MAID policy and program. As for starters and those who aren't innately familiar with MAID, here is a quick summary:
Brief history and summary of MAID
MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) started off sometime around or after 2015 (closer to 2016), and initially was only available for those whose death is in the foreseeable future (the terminally ill, with six months or less to live – similar to DWD (Death With Diginity) in the US). Then sometime in 2019 or so, the eligibility criteria was expanded to include those whose death was not foreseeable in the future and also those with grave, irremediable conditions (big major change and expansion in law!). The next step would be to expand it to mental illness which (if it went according to plan) would have taken affect around March 2023, but before that date came to pass, it was then delayed to March 2024. To further add insult to injury, when that date came, sometime in 2024, it was then postponed to 2027.
As you can see, MAID is not only curtailed in it's current form, but also risks being undone, dismantled (unlikely but possible), or at least heavily weakened and made much more limited than it currently is. With the recent news of the current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announcing his resignation, and a new conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, who is against such policies, seeks to undo what is potentially a decade or progress, and making what made Canada great for people who want to seek a potentially dignified exit to not be as good. Furthermore, don't forget that Canada along with most of the western world (except for the US) has one of the most strictest gun control and firearms laws, meaning that an average citizen will have a hard time to legally acquire the means to CTB, and of course, with the whole SN fiasco back in Spring 2023 (which most of SaSu already knew), this effectively makes Canada go from potentially great to seek peace to a dreadful, pro-suffering hellscape.
Given such facts and potential future changes (even if MAID isn't scrapped, it'll likely be weakened and less accessible, less effective than it's current form), this makes the US much better (at least in present day and current situation) in DIY CTB compared to other countries. While other countries do surpass the US in CTB rate, there are also many more failures than successes and more oftenly than not, those CTBs are far more gruesome and far more gnarly to bear. This isn't to say that CTBs taken place in the US aren't gruesome, as they can also be quite gruesome too, especially with brutal means. Nevertheless, I wrote this article mainly to highlight and point out the potential dangers of future changes which seeks to undo years of advocacy and progress, potentially regressing back to the old ways of things, which is worse for all of us.
Anyways, this thread will particularly focus on Canada's potentially changing political landscape. As an US Citizen, while things that happen in Canada generally affect Canadian citizens, they do (indirectly) affect the US and the world, and vice versa. (I stand corrected and while I'm not a Canadian citizen or follow as closely towards Canadian politics, I may be wrong on some facts, and if I am, then perhaps fellow Canadian citizens can feel free to correct me). This is true with all things in the real world too, however, to be more specific, about Canada's MAID policy and program. As for starters and those who aren't innately familiar with MAID, here is a quick summary:
Brief history and summary of MAID
MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) started off sometime around or after 2015 (closer to 2016), and initially was only available for those whose death is in the foreseeable future (the terminally ill, with six months or less to live – similar to DWD (Death With Diginity) in the US). Then sometime in 2019 or so, the eligibility criteria was expanded to include those whose death was not foreseeable in the future and also those with grave, irremediable conditions (big major change and expansion in law!). The next step would be to expand it to mental illness which (if it went according to plan) would have taken affect around March 2023, but before that date came to pass, it was then delayed to March 2024. To further add insult to injury, when that date came, sometime in 2024, it was then postponed to 2027.
As you can see, MAID is not only curtailed in it's current form, but also risks being undone, dismantled (unlikely but possible), or at least heavily weakened and made much more limited than it currently is. With the recent news of the current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announcing his resignation, and a new conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, who is against such policies, seeks to undo what is potentially a decade or progress, and making what made Canada great for people who want to seek a potentially dignified exit to not be as good. Furthermore, don't forget that Canada along with most of the western world (except for the US) has one of the most strictest gun control and firearms laws, meaning that an average citizen will have a hard time to legally acquire the means to CTB, and of course, with the whole SN fiasco back in Spring 2023 (which most of SaSu already knew), this effectively makes Canada go from potentially great to seek peace to a dreadful, pro-suffering hellscape.
Given such facts and potential future changes (even if MAID isn't scrapped, it'll likely be weakened and less accessible, less effective than it's current form), this makes the US much better (at least in present day and current situation) in DIY CTB compared to other countries. While other countries do surpass the US in CTB rate, there are also many more failures than successes and more oftenly than not, those CTBs are far more gruesome and far more gnarly to bear. This isn't to say that CTBs taken place in the US aren't gruesome, as they can also be quite gruesome too, especially with brutal means. Nevertheless, I wrote this article mainly to highlight and point out the potential dangers of future changes which seeks to undo years of advocacy and progress, potentially regressing back to the old ways of things, which is worse for all of us.
