Category Archives: Euthanasia

This story is part of Amy Bell'sParental Guidancecolumn, which airs on CBC Radio One'sThe Early Edition.

My children were aware of abortions long before recent news regarding the push against reproductive rights in places such as Texas and Oklahoma started coming through their social media feeds.

They knew some people were very much against them, but I don't think they fully grasped that the right for safe and easily accessible abortions was still something anyone would have to fight for.

So I've used the past few weeks as a launch pad for some more in-depth explanations about how the right to choose abortions is still very much something we all need to support.

It's one of those discussions that can be uncomfortable, and it can mean that some parents will have to choose whether to be honest or not about their personal experiences.

Elyse DeBelser was in her last year of university in the 1970s when she was raped and became pregnant.

She lived in California at the time; Roe v. Wade had just been decided in the court and while she knew that legally she could have an abortion, the procedure was still clouded in secrecy, shame and performed under less than safe conditions.

This spurred her to become a lifelong activist for women's reproductive rights.Her two daughters were very aware of her involvement with that cause. As they became teenagers, she shared her story in the hopes they would further understand the importance of having a choice and support, and continue to fight for that.

"I wanted them to know the full range of what their bodies didand that they had control over the bodies," says DeBelser.

"They could make the choices that were right for them and I would talk them through anything they wanted to discuss. They had to know they had choices."

But there is still much work to be done. While what's happening in the U.S. will likely never happen in Canada, access to safe abortions can still be difficult for people here.

There is still a lack of providers outside of major cities, adding immense travel costs and time to the process;different provinces have different rules surrounding medical coverage;and many of those who provide abortions still hide their services out of fear of stigma ofhow they and their families might be treated.

Tammi Heimstra knows all too well that abortions are sometimes the only viable end to a much wanted pregnancy.

At 26 weeks into her pregnancy, Tammi and her husband made the heartbreaking decisionto have a late-stage abortion when their son was shown to haveno chance of survival.

She said the care she was shown during the diagnosis and procedure was outstanding, but medical staff still warned her she might want to keep the procedure quiet to avoid judgment from others.

She would later have twins, a boy and girl, who are now 19.Heimstrasays she was always very open with them about what she went throughand how she and her husband made such a difficult decision.

"I showed them pictures of a developing fetus. And I said: 'We chose what some people would call a later term abortion, but what we call euthanasia.'Because we don't know how much he was suffering, if he was in any pain. And he was going to die," she says.

So many people still make these heartbreaking decisions in secret. But abortions are part of health careand they need to be openly accepted just like any other medical procedure.

Tasia Alexopolous, who works with the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, says they also need to be included in any discussions around sexual education.

"When we are talking about abortion, it's just one piece of the puzzle," says Alexopolous. "It's on thatspectrum of sex, sexual health, consent and reproductive health education that kids should be receiving anyway. I think abortion can fit into that really comfortably."

Alexopoulos also stresses that as we hear news of threats to abortion access, we should also remember how many people continue to uphold the importance of this issue.

"We don't see the activist on the ground every day, we don't see the medical providers and the nurses doing all this incredible work. There have always been folks fighting for these rights, there always will be," he says.

As long as there are pregnancies, there will be abortions. Avoiding the topic with your children won't change that fact, but it could make it harder for them to make an informed decision in future regarding an unwanted pregnancyor accessing a safe procedure.

Abortion can be an incredibly emotional choice, but shame and embarrassment should not be feelings we associate with it.Half of our population could get pregnant, and we need to make sure all of our kids understand the importance of having the right to end that pregnancy safely, and know to fully support and respect anyone who makes that decision.

See the rest here:

Reproductive rights should be a vital part of sex ed and that means talking to your kids about abortion - CBC.ca

Our featured pet is Fisher, a good-looking mixed-breed dog with big ol awesome ears! Fisher came to us as a stray, so we only know what we have observed during his time at the shelter and what we know we adore. We estimate that this russet-colored pup with golden eyes is around a year old, with lots of life left to live.

Fisher is a lover, eager to meet new people and get pets and snuggles. He has plenty of energy but isnt overwhelming. Fisher is food motivated and can already sit for a treat, which he takes gently from your hand. This bodes well for future training; you will be able to teach him to stay, lay down, and more with a bit of effort.

Fisher recently got neutered and has been a champ; he hasnt messed with his sutures. Because of his stitches, he hasnt been able to join doggy playgroups, so we dont know how he does with other dogs. Given his laid-back attitude, I bet he would do nicely!

No matter what, this big-eared charmer will make an excellent pet for someone who is looking for a happy, fun, and loving dog.

Fisher is fixed, vaccinated, and microchipped. Please bring your family and dog for a meet and greet Monday Friday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Before visiting, complete an online application: https://bit.ly/2Qo4EfE. Cant make it to the shelter during open hours? Email me at karikuh@dbchs.org to make an appointment.

Did you know? Shelter euthanasia is likely the most common cause of death of companion animals in the U.S., and that was previously true in Boyle County. The traditional model of sheltering leads to high rates of euthanasia for various reasons: illness, overcrowding, and lack of available homes.

Thanks to a professional shelter assessment funded by the Bluegrass Area Development District (2018) and continued support from leading animal welfare experts, Danville-Boyle County Humane Society (DBCHS) and Boyle County Animal Control put in place evidence-based practices to save more lives.

We learned that the best way to increase live outcomes (the number of dogs and cats leaving the shelter alive through return to home, transfer to rescue, or adoption) is by proactively helping people and their pets.

In the last three years, weve developed a series of safety nets to help care for animals beyond shelter walls: securing foster homes for medically fragile and very young animals, providing pet food for folks in need, helping people find new, loving homes for their pets using technology (dbchs.home-home.org), and implementing Trap/Neuter/Vaccinate/Return (TNVR) for healthy outdoor cats.

These programs dramatically reduce intake, which reserves shelter space for victims of cruelty or neglect and sick, injured, or abandoned animals, like Fisher.

The Danville-Boyle County Humane Society is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) established in 1972 that promotes the humane treatment of animals through compassionate care, engagement, and support. To donate, please visit DBCHS.org/give or mail a check to DBCHS P.O. Box 487, Danville, KY 40423-0487. Were grateful for every gift!

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Pet of the Week - May 26 - The Advocate-Messenger - Danville Advocate

A 31-year-old Toronto woman going by the pseudonym "Denise" is confined to a wheelchair and awaitingfinal approval for a medically-assisted suicide request after she was unable to find an affordable apartment that won't exacerbate her chronic illnesses. With a medical condition that makes her susceptible to anaphylactic shock if exposed to cigarette smoke, laundry chemicals, and air fresheners, finding safe living quarters on her limited budget has been so difficult that she prefers death to persevering. According to Denise, the reason she wants help in ending her life is her "abject poverty."

I hesitate to say this woman is "lucky" that the Canadian government will allow a physician to end her short life, when the alternative is for the government to find her a humble place to live at, at the very least, a subsistence level. How hard can that be for the nation whose citizens are always touting their government's concern for the common good by comparing it to their Southern neighbor's laissez-faire, uncaring individualism?

Denise said she and her supporters have called 10 different agencies in Toronto to locate suitable housing, but none of them were able to even find temporary housing or emergency funds for her. On the other hand, she found that applying to be euthanized was a much easier process. The price of life in Canada can now be calculated with some simple math. Just add up this woman's modest monthly financial requirements and subtract the $1200 in government assistance she's now receiving, and you have the number.

Denises plan was made possible under Canada's MAID (medical assistance in dying) law, passed in 2016. Previously, that legislation covered those whose death was already inevitable, but the law was expanded last year to include those in other categories than the soon-to-be dead. Denise doesn't really want to die, but she sees no financial path to avoid life on the streets in a wheelchair.

Denise is in a different category than another person CTV reported onCheryl Romaire, suffers from chronic inflammation in her spinal cord, and now feels "constant burning, electrical, icy pain" in her back. Romaire's also eligible for euthanasia, but that's because her suffering's unbearable. A few extra bucks a month isn't going to alleviate that. The ethics of promoting assisted suicide are thorny, but the morality of healthy people insisting that those in Romaire's situation must bear their pain for a lifetime must be scrutinized as well.

Canada's Maclean's has reportedon a woman who said, "An increase [in income support] is the only thing that could save my life. I have no other reason to want to apply for assisted suicide, other than I simply cannot afford to keep on living." Canada's getting into tricky moral territory when it facilitates the deaths of people who only want to die because they can't afford to stay alive. An official Canadian government document published in 2020 estimated the cost savings resulting from the original 2016 MAID law and the amendment to that legislationBill C-7. Given the cold-blooded nature of this analysis, it's not too dystopian to imagine that the government might succumb to its baser instincts and find a way to justify ridding itself of a costly group that's no longer able to contribute to society. As MAID applicants become younger, which is inevitable, the potential government savings over their longer lifetimes will provide an added economic incentive to help them check out. The government would find a way to explain that such a culling of the herd was based on the most humanitarian of motivations.

In March of next year, Canada will become one of the few nations in the world to permit euthanasia for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. Doctors will soon be able to kill patients suffering from depression, which is depressing.

What's going to happen is that those who cant afford needed therapy, medications, or crucial medical care will seek the MAID option. In the event of another pandemic, the scenario of the government participating in opt-in euthanasia is frightening. My calculation of the dollar figure Canada places on a human life is approximately $1000 per month. Denise currently receives $1200 in government assistance, and I believe that she could live on $2200. Life's becoming cheap in Canada.

Denise ought to make her name public. Through charitable organizations and crowd-funding, she could certainly make up the difference. That might embarrass the Canadian government enough so that it will rethink its facilitation of suicides of people too poor to live.

It probably won't.

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Euthanasia's a Possibility For Those Too Poor to Live In Canada - Splice Today

Denver Newsroom, May 19, 2022 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

New South Wales has become the sixth and final Australian state to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. Its legislation forces health care and elder care organizations with religious objections to allow the practice on their premises.

If a civilization is to be judged by how it treats its weakest members, the New South Wales parliament has failed miserably, and has set a dark and dangerous path for all posterity, determining a new and disturbing definition of what it means to be human. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney said May 19.

Despite our disappointment, our fight for life does not end with this vote, he added. He then invoked a phrase of Pope Francis: We must redouble our efforts to care for those who are victims of the throwaway culture and instead rebuild a culture of life and love in this state.

The Upper House of the New South Wales Parliament voted to approve the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 by a vote of 23 to 15 on Thursday. It will take effect in about 18 months, according to The Catholic Weekly, a publication of the Archdiocese of Sydney.

The bill allows euthanasia or assisted suicide to Australian citizens who are at least 18 years old. They must have a terminal illness and be expected to die within six months. Those expected to die in twelve months may seek euthanasia or assisted suicide if they have a neurodegenerative condition and experience unbearable suffering. Their application for euthanasia or assisted suicide must be assessed by two medical practitioners and they must be found to be making their decision voluntarily, without duress, the U.K. newspaper The Guardian reports.

The disturbing nature of this legislation is compounded by the way the debate over amendments was conducted, said Archbishop Fisher. All amendments put forward by those who would seek to make this deadly regime even a little bit safer were rejected.

That no meaningful amendments were accepted speaks to a winner takes all approach by the proponents of this bill and reveals an ugliness that has invaded our politics. This does not bode well for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.

Objecting religious health care providers had sought the ability to ban euthanasia and assisted suicide from their premises, but the relevant amendments were rejected.

Catholic health and aged care providers in New South Wales have served their communities with compassion and professionalism for more than a century and will continue to offer high-quality hospital and end of life care despite this poorly designed law, Brigid Meney, director of strategy and mission at Catholic Health Australia, said May 19.

However Catholic health and aged care providers are disappointed and saddened by the passing of a law that violates their ethic of care, she continued.

This law will force organizations that do not agree with assisted suicide to allow doctors onto their premises to prescribe and even administer restricted drugs with the intention of terminating a residents life without even informing the facility, Meney continued. These laws ignore the rights of staff and residents who may choose to work and live in a particular residential facility because of their opposition to assisted suicide.

Catholic Health Care Australia, the Anglican health care provider Anglicare, and the Christian aged care provider HammondCare had all strongly campaigned for their faith-based elder care facilities to be exempted from the law, citing freedom of conscience. Conscience protections, however, were defeated in the Upper House by a vote of 23-13.

Greg Donnelly, a Labor Member of the Legislative Council, was among other pro-life lawmakers who had sought to limit the New South Wales legislation through amendments, including conscience protections.

He said it was utterly repugnant and draconian to force facilities with moral objections to assisted suicide or euthanasia to allow the practices. Such provisions are essentially an authoritarian imposition on what are, in our civil society, associations of people coming together for a purpose.

Other defeated amendments sought to clarify whether a person seeking euthanasia or assisted suicide has decision-making capacity or is significantly impacted by a mental health impairment. Failed amendments aimed to provide palliative care or to bar healthcare workers or third parties from initiating discussions about euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Alex Greenwich, an independent MP who had introduced the bill, praised its passage and said compassion has won. He called for euthanasia and assisted suicide advocates to focus on the federal parliament to pass laws that would allow Australias territories to legislate for euthanasia and assisted suicide, Australias ABC News reports.

Australia has six states and ten territories, though the lawmaking abilities of the latter are dependent upon the federal parliament.

Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected any move to allow euthanasia and assisted suicide legalization in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, by far the two most populated Australian territories, though the Labor party has pledged to make debate on the issue a priority if it wins control of the federal government in the elections set for Saturday.

Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay lamented the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New South Wales, calling it a completely unacceptable solution to the problem of suffering.

A genuinely human society is not how we decide to eliminate those who suffer, but how we care for them, he said. We should be considering and caring for the rights of all citizens to be well, to have the care they need, and not lost to the margins.

Now more than ever we must ensure members of our family, friends, those who are alone, the vulnerable in our community know and understand that they are loved, that we will be with them in their journey, and that they are not a burden, said Randazzo.

Archbishop Fisher thanked members of parliament who opposed the bill, often in the face of disdain and disparagement from their parliamentary colleagues, from pro-euthanasia lobby groups and from the media.

When the New South Wales bill was introduced in late 2021, Fisher vocally criticized it and asked Catholics to speak out. He warned of the prevalence of elder abuse and the alarming rates of suicide among the vulnerable.

As someone who has experienced the pain and humiliation of serious illness, I need you to speak up for life, he had said. He recounted his severe case of Guillain-Barr syndrome, which paralyzed him from the neck down and put him in terrible pain and total dependency on others for five months.

Catholic bishops in Australia have repeatedly written in support of palliative care as an alternative to assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faiths September 2020 letter Samaritanus bonus reaffirmed the Churchs perennial teaching on the sinfulness of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The congregation recalled the obligation of Catholics to accompany the sick and dying through prayer, physical presence, and the sacraments.

In February 2021, an Australian university found that the country has less than half the number of palliative care physicians needed to care for terminally-ill patients.

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Final Australian state allows euthanasia and assisted suicide, rejecting religious exemptions - Catholic World Report

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997

No. 17 , 1997

An Act concerning euthanasia

[Assented to 27 March 1997]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997.

2 Commencement

This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3 Schedules

The Acts that are specified in Schedules to this Act are amended as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other items in the Schedules to this Act have effect according to their terms.

Schedule 1Amendment of the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978

1 After section 50

Insert

50A Laws concerning euthanasia

(1) Subject to this section the power of the Legislative Assembly conferred by section 6 in relation to the making of laws does not extend to the making of laws which permit or have the effect of permitting (whether subject to conditions or not) the form of intentional killing of another called euthanasia (which includes mercy killing) or the assisting of a person to terminate his or her life.

(2) The Legislative Assembly does have power to make laws with respect to:

(a) the withdrawal or withholding of medical or surgical measures for prolonging the life of a patient but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(b) medical treatment in the provision of palliative care to a dying patient, but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(c) the appointment of an agent by a patient who is authorised to make decisions about the withdrawal or withholding of treatment; and

(d) the repealing of legal sanctions against attempted suicide.

2 Application

For the avoidance of doubt, the enactment of the Legislative Assembly called the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 has no force or effect as a law of the Territory, except as regards the lawfulness or validity of anything done in accordance therewith prior to the commencement of this Act.

Schedule 2Amendment of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988

1 After subsection 23(1)

Insert:

(1A) The Assembly has no power to make laws permitting or having the effect of permitting (whether subject to conditions or not) the form of intentional killing of another called euthanasia (which includes mercy killing) or the assisting of a person to terminate his or her life.

(1B) The Assembly does have power to make laws with respect to:

(a) the withdrawal or withholding of medical or surgical measures for prolonging the life of a patient but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(b) medical treatment in the provision of palliative care to a dying patient, but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(c) the appointment of an agent by a patient who is authorised to make decisions about the withdrawal or withholding of treatment; and

(d) the repealing of legal sanctions against attempted suicide.

Schedule 3Amendment of the Norfolk Island Act 1979

1 After paragraph 19(2)(c)

Add:

(d) which permit or have the effect of permitting (whether subject to conditions or not) the form of intentional killing of another called euthanasia (which includes mercy killing) or the assisting of a person to terminate his or her life.

2 After subsection 19(2)

Insert:

(2A) The Legislative Assembly does have power to make laws with respect to:

(a) the withdrawal or withholding of medical or surgical measures for prolonging the life of a patient but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(b) medical treatment in the provision of palliative care to a dying patient, but not so as to permit the intentional killing of the patient; and

(c) the appointment of an agent by a patient who is authorised to make decisions about the withdrawal or withholding of treatment; and

(d) the repealing of legal sanctions against attempted suicide.

[Ministers second reading speech made in

House of Representatives on 28 October 1996

Senate on 12 December 1996]

(113/96)

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above is a fair print of the Euthanasia Laws Bill 1997 which originated in the House of Representatives as the Euthanasia Laws Bill 1996 and has been finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

IN THE NAME OF HER MAJESTY, I assent to this Act.

Governor-General

March 1997

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Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 - Legislation

On January 15, 2020, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued and posted an updated version of the Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. The 2020 Edition is available for download at https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia.pdf.

The PHS Policy,IV.C.1.g., requires that Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) reviewing research animal activities determine that methods of euthanasia used will be consistent with the recommendations of the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animalsunless a deviation is justified for scientific reasons in writing by the investigator.

Federal Register Notice2020-03607 and NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-20-069 Request for Information were issued to solicit input from the public on any concerns they may have with the 2020 Edition of the Guidelines.

The public comment period closed on April 29, 2020.

OLAW encourages Assured institutions to begin using the 2020 Guidelines when reviewing research projects as soon as possible and expects full implementation after October 1, 2020. Previously approved projects undergoing continuing review according to PHS Policy,IV.C.5., which requires a complete review at least once every 3 years, must be reviewed using the 2020 Guidelines after October 1, 2020.

Call (301-496-7163) or e-mail (olaw@mail.nih.gov)OLAWfor answers to your questions.

Read more:

AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2020 Edition

Hugging dogs Kala and Keira | Image: Facebook

A heartbreaking photo of two dogs embracing each other hours before their scheduled euthanasia saved their lives.

Kala embraced Kiera in a warm cuddle just three hours before they were due to die. A shelter volunteer took a photo of their hug.

The duo ended up being rescued by Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, a non-profit charity that saves dogs and cats from high-risk situations in Georgia, America.

The shelter posted the picture on Facebook and wrote, "Im Kala. This is Keira. Were so scared in here. The people working in the shelters see how scared we are but just told each other that today is our deadline. We have to have someone rescue us or well be next.'"

"Angels Among Us Pet Rescue knew that immediate action was needed to save these two friends and they pulled them from their dire shelter situation without a minute to spare," a spokeswoman was quoted as saying by Mirror.

"Kala and Keira's hug and plea for rescue was seen around the world and brought the plight of shelter dogs to the forefront of national and international media and spurred conversations across the globe," she added.

When lifelong friends Wendy and Pam came across Kala and Keira's story in a magazine, they decided to give the doggos their forever home.

Wendy had recently lost her two elderly dogs and realised that the "hugging pups" were available for adoption. She said, "It just fell together. We turned out tears in to smiles with these two young, playful dogs."

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Heartbreaking photo of 'hugging pups' saves them from euthanasia - Times Now

Since the End of Life Choice Bill passed into law last November, at least 92 people have legally taken their own lives. One of those, Esther Richards, invited Sunday to accompany her through the final months of her life.

This is my story, my journey and my choice, Esther said. I love life, I just wish I could live it.

Earlier this year Sunday's cameras filmed Esther, 58, her best mate Jooles and her son Alex around her Tauranga home for two months as Esther fought her brain cancer and sought permission to die.

Everyday life is getting up in the morning, slowly getting dressed and showered, and I'm usually in pain, Esther said. I wake up in pain.

Theres more to life than the ability to breathe. I dont call what Im doing now living.

Esther was diagnosed with brain cancer nine years ago, when her only child Alex was just 18.Its been me and her the entire time, Alex said. It wasnt a wealthy upbringing, but mum tried to give me everything I needed.

The two shared a tight relationship and a common sense of humour.

As soon as I told him I had shadows on the brain, his first comment was, oh, they found a brain, which cracked us up and then he said, you can fight this, eh, mum," Esther said.

"I had to say yes, and I fought it.

Esther fought for Alex and she fought for the legislation.

A photo of Esther Richards and her son Alex, in an earlier time. (Source: 1News)

Dying is not a choice, were not choosing to die, were choosing not to suffer as we die.

The bill divided the country when it passed, as it still does now. Primary concerns among those who oppose euthanasia in New Zealand include that the disabled and elderly could be pressured into it, and many Christians oppose the practice for religious reasons.

Esther is not among those Christians, having reconciled her decision with her faith.

She said she did a lot of praying while waiting to hear the referendums result, and she felt peaceful.

In October 2020, the binding referendum on the End of Life Choice Bill found that 65.2% of New Zealanders supported it, and the bill came into force on November 7 2021.

READ MORE: Assisted dying legal in New Zealand from today

In December, Esther first tried to convince the doctors that she was ready, but she was declined because she couldnt honestly say she was enduring unbearable suffering.

So (the doctor) said Im sorry, I have to decline you and I said 'thats okay."

Unbearable suffering is one of the restrictions in the bill, along with having a terminal illness with six months or less to live and being in a state of irreversible physical decline. A person must also be of sound mind to apply.

Esther Richards takes comfort in her friend Jooles. (Source: 1News)

Esther was found to meet these criteria when she repeated the interview on March 18.

After that, she had six months to use the medication and set a date, May 20. But when her condition took a turn for the worse, Esther brought it forward to April 22. The date marked the 30th anniversary of her mothers death from the same cancer.

I am going to die anyways if I do it or not, I just don't want to die a slow painful way, Esther said. She planned to go out listening to Metallica and surrounded by family and friends, including Jooles and Alex.

Ive never been afraid of death, Im afraid of how Ill die, Esther said. I dont want to die in pain, I dont want to die as someone other than me.

Esther Richards died at 1.14pm on April 22, 2022.

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'This is my story' - Assisted dying patient followed on final journey - 1News

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Hundreds of anti-abortion activists rally at Pro-Life Utah's March for Life at the Utah Capitol on Saturday, in conjunction with the national March for Life in D.C., Jan. 22, 2022.

| May 15, 2022, 12:00 p.m.

Anti-abortion proponents often justify their arguments on the sacredness of life, its connection to God. Considering that the 8 billion people on the planet have roughly 8 billion concepts of God, varying from He Quotes Leviticus in Hebrew to Me when Im Stuck in Rush-Hour Traffic to He Kicked Off the Big Bang and Hasnt Been Heard From Since, I submit that sacredness is a poor criteria to evaluate the morality of abortion.

Other proponents argue the sanctity of life, its ultimate importance and inviolability, without necessarily a religious connection. But there are morally acceptable situations when we take someones life: capital punishment, a soldier killing an enemy soldier, a policeman killing an unarmed man believed to be a mere threat to safety, euthanasia, sacrificing one individual to save others and any threat in general to our survival for example, Floridas Stand Your Ground law.

The act of conceiving is remarkably easy (with apologies to couples who do have trouble doing so). Sanctity, frankly, just isnt on our minds at the time. Were not thinking ahead to potential unintended consequences. Heck, were not thinking at all. Its pleasurable. Were wired to do it. No credit card, permission, driver license or smart phone required. All you need is a partner.

For countless millennia Homo sapiens was just another species on the planet, struggling to forage and survive. Nowadays were adept at overpopulating the planet, a veritable poster child for an invasive species. What was historically sacrosanct is now much less so.

If you really want to honor sanctity, quit focusing on the first weeks and instead focus on what really matters the next five or 15 years. Thats where a child needs support on so many fronts. That childs mother is by far the best equipped to decide if she can or will make that childs life what life should be. No one else can make that decision.

Mike Duncan, Moab

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Continued here:

Letter: 'Sanctity' and 'sacredness' of life are malleable concepts. Let's focus on what really matters. - Salt Lake Tribune

I have recently taken it upon myself to work my way through the internet in search of my ancestry. I call it my 1080 Project. As a wise old tech-savvy male elder of the family Rattus rattus, and with no chance of a pleasant natural death, Im planning to avail myself of our voluntary euthanasia as soon as Ive completed the project. I have access to that excellent metabolic poison 1080. And at least were never likely to go extinct like the poor old dodo. We were largely responsible for that particular vanishing, you know. We travelled on the Dutch ships and we rushed ashore on Mauritius and hopped into the dodos eggs. The sailors also helped by killing and eating the big old birds. Wipeout!

I have been led hither and thither electronically and now I will share with you some of the information I have unearthed. Theres the relationship I discovered between my family and a rather lovely 7th-century Belgian saint, Gertrude. She is the only saint who has been accorded rodents as her emblem. First it was just the mice, the little fellows, but then we were permitted to participate, and St Gertrude is now the patron saint of the fear of rats. She is one of those saints who is not recognised by the Vatican. Mind you, there are plenty of rats in the Vatican. Theres a popular Rattus boy-band called Squealing and Dealing that plays regular gigs in the kitchens. I just hope they can travel to perform at my funeral.

I, like most members of the family, am a zoonotic vector of certain pathogens, notably the Black Death, or bubonic plague. This disease is spread in two ways: by infected fleas from rats, or by contact with the bodily fluids of a dead plague-infected person or animal. Its kind of hard to know the answer to the chicken-and-egg question in this case. Theres the rat flea and theres the rat. Rat carries plague bacteria, flea feeds on rat, flea bites human. Did the flea get its measure of bacteria from a rat in the first place? Or did the rat get its juice from the flea? Anyhow, the bacteria, once they pop into the bloodstream, travel to a human lymph node or two, where they reproduce, causing swelling. Painful. You bet. What follows is now get this necrosis of the extremities, the appearance of black dots and bruising, fever, cramps, seizures, bloody vomit, delirium, death. Fascinating.

As you would realise, the plague played its part in history, changing societies wherever it went. Its a matter of considerable family pride that it was one of us who carried the flea that bit Elizabeth, queen consort of EdwardIV of England in 1492. Maybe you cant place Elizabeth in the history youre familiar with. Well, Ill tell you. She was the granny of Henry the VIII. Got that? She came from the House of York, the one with the white roses, and she was known as the White Queen. Oh, and she was the mother of those boys who disappeared in the Tower of London. She was quite pretty, if you can believe the portraits. I like to believe.

Im fond of art, generally. You should see the statue of St Gertrude in Berlin. Its a big bronze thing on the Gertrude bridge, and shes given a boy a mug of beer. Hes got a big goose with him, and running around beneath his feet theres a ring of great bronze rats, and a few mice. Since people are frightened, they make up stories and legends about us, often with a grain of truth. Speaking of grain, we have sometimes changed the course of history by gobbling up all the crops. As for the legends think of the Pied Piper of Hamelin thats based on a true story. He musicked the rats away, and when the city refused to pay him, he musicked away the children. Interesting! Humans do go in for revenge and retribution. I always wonder where the rats and children ended up. They couldnt vanish into thin air, could they? Or maybe they could.

A significant rat death occurred in the royal palace of the Russian Emperor PeterIII in 1762. The emperor had a big collection of toy soldiers, and used to organise scenes of warfare all over the floor. Well, one of my ancestors was making a meal of two delicious little cork sentinels who were guarding a fortress, when the emperors dog caught him at it and delivered him to the emperor. The emperor sentenced the old ancestor to death, constructed a gallows and executed him. Quite a good way to go.

Wherever I look on the internet, there are traces of the Rattus family. Its amazing. And we simply love the way the planets heating up. They used to say that in New York City you were never more than 12 inches from a rat. Thats a great overstatement these hot days its now more like six inches. Same in London. Were even closer in Paris and Rome. By the time the planet boils, well be half an inch from your ear. Nibble-nibble like a mouse (rat). There goes your ear. It really surprises me that they dont properly canonise St Gertrude to put her more firmly in the frame when it comes to fear of rats. Not that it would do them any good, mind you. We are organised, ubiquitous, invincible. But I realise it gives humans comfort to imagine they have a powerful good woman on hand to deal with us.

I plan to travel to Berlin to die at the feet of the statue of St Gertrude, with whom Ive become a bit obsessed. In fact it wasnt until I discovered her that I made my final decision about the 1080. Does that sound a bit extravagant? Ive always been known for the dramatic gesture. I will pack a bag with the precious white powder, bid farewell to the family at the cheese and butter factory, and take a jet to Germany. I hope I can organise to have Squealing and Dealing to play at the ceremony. St Gertie, here I come.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper onMay 14, 2022 as "Completing the 1080 project".

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Completing the 1080 project - The Saturday Paper