Why A Courageous Battle?
Polls asking people if they support physician assisted dying (PAD) have these "YES" results in my peer countries: 91% France; 82% England; 85% Australia; 76% Canada; 70% America; 70% New Zealand. So why is a safe, painless, merciful death not universally provided under the law? I do not have the answer, but I can think of a couple of possibilities. One is that elitist politicians are more interested in protecting their turf and hewing to their own agendas than they are in addressing important issues. A vocal minority, funded and backed by the Roman Catholic Church, and associations of disabled persons, have lobbied hard against euthanasia and PAD. Until recently there was not a demand among the silent majority for assisted dying because most people were in the midst of hectic, busy lives, more interested in getting the kids to school and making the mortgage payment. But people in the huge baby boomer cohort are reaching their elder years and are starting to witness the havoc caused by deadly diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer and ALS in an age where medical technology can stave off death, but not suffering. Often, when they witness a prolonged death, they do not want it for themselves, so expect more pressure to come from that sector. The second is that until recently medical associations have opposed assisted dying. This is changing. Several American medical associations now support PAD, and the Quebec College of Physicians and Surgeons issued a report in support of it in November, 2009, which action was approved of by 78% of members of the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists and 78% of the general population.
Euthanasia and physician assisted dying have long been allowed in the Netherlands, where 86% of the people support both. PAD has been offered in Switzerland since the forties. It is also allowed in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the American states of Washington, Montana, and Oregon, where the "Death with Dignity Act" was passed in 1998. The Oregon option should be legally available everywhere. I wrote A Courageous Battle in the hope that the story will inspire readers to add their voices to those demanding this simple right.
BONUS!
A Bonus Appendix is included in the book, with essays on Advance Directives and Jury Nullification. It is vital for you to have an advance directive so that your wishes about your end of life care will be known to the doctors and family members who may be forced to make decisions on your behalf. Jury nullification is the constitutional right of every person serving on a jury (in my peer countries, except France) to refuse to convict an accused even if the evidence proves s/he committed the crime with which s/he is charged. The Appendix also lists many references to organizations working to promote doctor aid in dying, and to scholarly works on the subject.
Where to get yours
A Courageous Battle; softcover; 315 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9864879-1-0
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 CAD/US
Canadians order here
Americans order here
To get a signed author's copy send a cheque or money order for $19.95 to Bracken, 2 Toronto St., PH 1-3, Barrie ON L4N 9R2 (includes taxes, shipping & handling)
To download a free pdf version click here
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Photography by Tony Ejem