Hello Doc, Come Kill Me?

The euthanasia forces have a very clear program. Make killing not just available but make it socially acceptable, seen as a natural alternative and morally obligatory. Once a decision is made, it must not be discussed, but just accepted and lauded.

A few weeks ago, Robert Munsch, the prominent and beloved Canadian children’s writer, received permission to be killed. He had applied four years ago, but just not acted on it. With macabre humour, Munsch said, “My application consisted of ‘Hello Doc, come kill me’ and added, ‘How much time do I have?’ ‘15 seconds!’” This was all presented in a joking fashion because, of course, he was diagnosed with dementia. There was an unspoken assumption that if the person has dementia, then their life in any worthwhile sense is entirely over.

Now Munsch is not the first high profile person to choose to be killed by his doctors. But his writing being so well known, his decision must be seen in a different light. It basically says that an individual with dementia could not make any more rational decision than to be killed. Obviously, the rational course is to encourage an individual with any neurodegenerative diseases to choose the same brutal ending.

I’ve read only one of his most famous books – Love You Forever. It chronicles the life trajectory of a baby, teenager, and young father who has an intense and loving relationship with his mother to the very end of her life. It speaks to a deep reservoir of maternal love and affection that is reciprocated on the part of the young man. There’s a song or rhyme that the mother speaks, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

What has struck many people in this well-known refrain is that by Munsch choosing to be killed it says that we are not loved forever, but instead we are tolerated as long as we can be productive, either in our eyes or in the eyes of society. Less well known is that Munsch has a bipolar disorder and struggled with cocaine and alcohol addictions for most of his life. Considering these diagnoses, his stability should be questioned.

Even though court decisions have explicitly not allowed for advanced decision-making for euthanasia, this is being ignored in Munsch’s case. Questions remain. Why is he choosing this? Because of fear of abandonment; because of loss of dignity; because of lack of support? Does he wish to see himself as a valiant figure pushing forward for human rights - especially the dubious right of dignity? Is he allowing himself to be used as we’ve seen so often before? Society has not had a chance to discuss whether suicide by physician killing should be allowed. With the diktat of the Supreme Court imposing mercy killing upon Canada, the discussion as to the morality of mercy killing is beaten down or at least quite muted.

These publicity puff pieces never really discuss the hard questions of true consent, a fear of abandonment, loss of dignity, or how this is compounded by a terminal diagnosis and its resulting social isolation. We are instead to just accept any decision that an individual may make - and indeed to laud them for it.

I would challenge anyone reading this newsletter to realize that we must embark on several things at the same time, difficult though they may be. Firstly, our people are being educated by their front pages and newsfeeds. They are being bombarded by the pro- euthanasia campaign. We also need an engaging campaign teaching why suicide and being killed by physicians is wrong. This must be a sustained campaign - not just for one week or year. It must reach Catholics and non-practicing Catholics.

Secondly, we must be very clear about fighting for the conscience rights of family members who are responsible for those who are weak and vulnerable. The conscience rights of our health care workers, the social necessity of protecting the weak and the vulnerable must be protected.

Thirdly, these are life and death situations. We need to educate our own priests and deacons to be leaders in this area and to militate for their own legal protections. The pro-death campaign is well on its way in our hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes. Is the pro-life campaign really up to responding?

Fr. Tom Lynch (PFLC National President)