Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition will address the current debate concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide. He will argue that far from “merciful” all too often an economic motive and moral bankruptcy lie behind the push for doctor-assisted deaths. “We need to have adequate safe guards protecting the infirm and elderly from choosing death when what they need is love and understanding and help through the process of “passing over.”
While both are technically illegal in Canada, there are increasing precedents that have justified physician-assisted death on moral and legal grounds. Advocates argue that assisted suicide is just, compassionate and allows for maximum individual control. They end suffering and preserve human dignity. Since the trend is clearly heading in this direction the need for public discussion on this important issue is intensified.
Is it possible to legalize physician-assisted death in such a way that adequate safeguards will protect the interests of our most vulnerable? What is happening behind the scenes in overcrowded, over worked medical facilities? What are the alternatives to euthanasia and assisted suicide? These questions and more will be answered.
Speaker: Alex Schadenberg is the Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition in Toronto, Ontario. He is married to Susan and has 6 children. Author of Toward a Culture of Life (1996), Alex travels and lectures throughout Canada.