Desmond Tutu to Canadians: Revere the sanctity of life but not at all costs
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- Published on Monday, 13 October 2014 14:00
- Written by editor
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Revere the sanctity of life, but not at all costs
"I have been fortunate to spend my life working for dignity for the living. Now I wish to apply my mind to the issue of dignity for the dying."Earlier this weekend, Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote an opinion-editorial to Canadians expressing his support for the BC Civil Liberties Association’s Supreme Court fight for the right to physician assisted dying.
After a lifetime of fighting for the dignity of the living, a man who has stood at the forefront of some of the most important civil rights battles of our time has become a powerful advocate for compassion at the end of life.
"Our legal system denied him and his family this dignity"
In his opinion-editorial, Archbishop Tutu tells a story that the BCCLA and our clients are all too familiar with, describing an individual who was denied a peaceful and dignified death. South African Craig Schonegevel struggled for 28 years with neurofibromatosis before deciding his quality of life had evaporated and his suffering was unbearable.
"Craig wanted to end his life legally assisted, listening to his favourite music and in the embrace of his beloved parents, Patsy and Neville. Our legal system denied him and his family this dignity."
Archbishop Tutu has written to us now in recognition of the pivotal juncture that Canada finds itself at. In just two days the Supreme Court of Canada is set to hear the BCCLA’s case on this issue. The rights of seriously and incurably ill Canadians now rest with the country’s highest court. The Court will either uphold the laws that force the seriously and incurably ill to suffer against their will or generate an historic victory for compassion and autonomy.
As the BCCLA prepares to make our arguments before the Supreme Court of Canada on October 15, 2014, we invite all Canadians to stand with us, and Archbishop Tutu, in declaring your support for the right to die with dignity.
Please take a moment to stand up and be counted by signing the death with dignity pledge.
Updates from Ottawa
Over the next three days we will be sending you updates directly from Ottawa. This is more email than we would normally send, but then, this is one of the most important legal battles the BCCLA has fought in its more than fifty years of existence.
Wherever you are, we invite you to follow our journey through facebook and twitter, as we make our case to the Supreme Court of Canada. We hope you'll join us.
We've only made it this far because of the generous support of people who care about this issue. If you can,r0
