On Saturday, The American Thinker posted an article about a change that Canada is recommending in its medical assistance in dying (MAiD) law. The panel involved is suggesting that mental illness be added to the list of things that make a person eligible for assisted suicide. I’m a little confused here–wasn’t there a time when we considered a person who committed suicide mentally ill? There seems to be some circular logic here.

The article includes a horror story of someone who was adversely impacted by the current rules regarding assisted suicide:

A 71-year-old widower was admitted to a Southwestern Ontario hospital after a fall. His family says during his admission he contracted an infectious diarrheal illness. He was humiliated by staff for the smell of his room, his family said. He developed a new shortness of breath that was not comprehensively assessed. In this context, a hospital team member suggested he would qualify for MAiD. The team said he had end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it was terminal. The patient was surprised by the diagnosis but trusted the team. Within 48 hours of his first assessment, he received a medically assisted death. Post-mortem testing showed he did not have end-stage COPD. His family doctor, when notified of his death, also stated he did not have end-stage COPD, but the team had failed to contact her when they were assessing his history.

The article notes:

Nonetheless, the Great White North’s federal “expert” panel on MAiD has recommended mental illness be added to the list of maladies making one eligible for MAiD……apparently without any legislative changes. How nice, euthanasia by administrative fiat. What could go wrong?

To some degree, mental illness is in the eye of the beholder. It can be quite subjective and has historically been used as a tool to advance totalitarian political agendas. Hence, the gulags and “re-education camps.” Don’t believe in global warming? Are you an anti-vaxxer? Trump supporter?! Didn’t vote for Xi jinping Justin Trudeau? Driving an 18-wheeler in a “Freedom Convoy?” Then you are, sadly, mentally ill.

I don’t want to live in a country where doctors have the right to kill you if they decide you are going to die anyway. What is happening in Canada is not good news for America.