St. Paul’s Hospital stood by its principles
Re: “Woman with terminal cancer forced to transfer from hospital for assisted dying,” June 26.
This story gives a free platform to the assisted suicide group, Dying with Dignity, but no space to any pro-life organizations.
The tragedy here is that Samantha O’Neill was stricken with an excruciatingly painful condition, and at such a young age.
It is neither a tragedy nor an outrage that St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver follows Catholic moral teachings in its operations and refused to euthanize her.
St. Paul’s did not “force” O’Neill to go to another facility to obtain assistance in dying, any more than any smaller hospital in British Columbia forces any of its patients to go to better-equipped hospitals in Victoria or Vancouver for more complex treatment.
She chose a treatment St. Paul’s did not provide.
I live across the street from Royal Jubilee Hospital (and, with my heart condition, I am glad I do) so I can attest to the frequent helicopter trips to its landing pad bringing in such patients. Are they also being “stripped of their dignity”? Surely not.
The Dying with Dignity bunch think St. Paul’s should do assisted suicide because it is “taxpayer-funded.” Well, it provides service for every dollar, but like other B.C. hospitals, it doesn’t do everything.
Its Catholic principles prevent its staff from helping kill people, but these principles also inspired St. Paul’s staff, during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, to provide end-of-life care of fatally ill AIDS patients before any other institution.
Those same principles led Catholic religious communities to start and staff the first hospitals in many communities across Western Canada and the U.S., and Catholic lay people to pay for their construction and the land they still sit on.
Those nuns took vows of poverty to provide service to everyone of all beliefs and none, at the lowest cost possible.
Dying with Dignity admits the medical staff and hospital are protected by law and adds that only a court challenge can change that. Not actually. Why not go the democratic route and amend the law in Parliament?
Steve Weatherbe
Victoria
Showing compassion at end of life
Re: “Woman with terminal cancer forced to transfer from hospital for assisted dying,” June 27.
Providence Health Care, a Catholic organization, opposes medical assistance in dying and does not permit it in its 10 hospitals and care facilities.
Since 2016, 402 PHC patients have requested MAID and 131 have followed through with a transfer to another facility to obtain it.
Samantha O’Neill, 34, who was dying of inoperable stage four cancer, was transferred from PHC’s St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver on April 4 to receive MAID. The news story’s description of the effects of this transfer are heartrending.
Rather than supporting quality of life at such a critical time, the transfer appears to have profoundly undermined it.
For reasons of compassion and maximizing quality of life, PHC should modify its policy to permit external practitioners to administer MAID at PHC facilities when necessary, which may well be for most, if not all, MAID cases.
Such a change would not diminish PHC’s opposition to MAID, but it would decisively put the priority on compassionate care, which, according to the story, O’Neill and her family did not receive.
Patrick Wolfe
Victoria
Threat of violence is bad, but sarcasm has its place
Re: “Victoria councillor pushes back on death threats,” June 27.
I absolutely agree with Jeremy Caradonna that threats of any kind, or acts of violence, aggression and hostility are out of place in any discussion of actions of elected officials at any level of government. I part company when he objects to sarcasm.
Irony and satire are well established rhetorical devices, whether verbal or written, and sarcasm is just a substitute used by those who don’t possess the wit for irony or satire.
I don’t think sarcasm is in the same league as threats or acts of violence or aggression.
And besides, who would aim sarcasm at elected officials, especially local officials, who never make mistakes, who always act in the best interests of the electorate (whether they realize it or not), and who are, without question, far more intelligent than those who voted for them?
Not me, that’s for sure.
Ian Cameron
Brentwood Bay
Politicians must set an example for the rest
I moved to Canada six years ago to get away from the toxic environment in the United States, only to be faced with the long-practised rudeness around the Canadian government.
Question period is an appalling example of bad manners and personal attacks that should not have been copied from the Brits.
Canada should be above that behaviour based on its claim to be a civil country. The whole idea of having an official Opposition gang who try to outdo each other in nastiness only promotes disrespect for government at all levels.
The press should also show more respect toward government officials. I have been sickened at the attacking questions and personal opinions hurled by the reporters.
Of course, it would help if the government officials would honestly answer the questions.
If we want more civility in our country, it needs to start at the top. Children learn by example, no matter what age they are.
C.A. Anderson
Victoria
Schools must find a more inclusive approach
I am writing to express sadness over previous letters to the editor voicing outrage regarding the ending of the school police liaison officer program in the Greater Victoria School District.
It is disheartening to witness the lack of empathy in some of these letters.
The B.C. human rights commissioner has recommended that all school districts discontinue the use of liaison officers until their impact can be established empirically.
This aims to address concerns of marginalized communities and ensure the well-being and rights of all students. Systemic discrimination occurs when the needs of marginalized students are overlooked in favour of majority opinions.
An illustration of this is the presence of ramps next to staircases or the provision of signs in Braille. These measures were not implemented solely because the majority wanted them, but because they were necessary for the inclusion and well-being of all students.
While the idea of creating a safe environment with police presence is appealing, the reality is more complex.
Out of 48 schools, only 29 have a liaison officer. Police officers in our schools are paid by their respective police departments.
Their primary role is to uphold the law. Decisions regarding attire, weapons and how they conduct themselves are determined by police departments, with no oversight from the district.
Concerns raised by marginalized communities cannot be addressed through minor adjustments or promises of collaboration.
By ending the program, the school district can focus on finding alternative civilian solutions for a more inclusive approach to student safety and support.
Paula Marchese
Victoria
Yes, the premier says, he will obey the law
Re: “David Eby resists early vote in B.C. despite big byelection wins for NDP,” June 27.
Premier David Eby was asked at a news conference about calling an early election and he replied that he intends to comply with the fixed election date as prescribed in law.
Why was that question even asked? Eby has no other option.
Those of us with functioning memories might recall that a very few years ago B.C.’s NDP government passed legislation establishing fixed election dates.
Yet it is considered worthy of a headline that our premier says that he actually intends to obey that law. Remarkable!
My functioning memory recalls that Eby’s predecessor, John Horgan, broke that law almost immediately after signing it.
Nobody raised an eyebrow. Is it any wonder that so many folks expect little but blatant opportunism and broken promises from our leaders?
Martin Hykin
Victoria
If everyone voted, we would know more
Why is it that in two ridings — taking into account few people really care about byelections — one with more than 50,000 registered voters and the other with more than 45,000 registered voters, only a little over 13,000 voted in one, and almost 8,000 in the other?
One of two things is going on here:
1. There are enough NDP voters in either riding that many people decided they didn’t have to vote, as there are sufficiently motivated numbers of voters to assure the status quo, which they’re perfectly happy with.
2. There’s a huge group of undecided or demoralized voters from other parties who don’t bother voting because “it won’t make a difference” even though the numbers clearly show that theoretically there’s more than enough to make a difference.
At least once I’d like to see turnout numbers approaching 100 per cent in a riding such as that, just to get an idea of what’s really going on.
April J. Gibson
Duncan
Fountain not an issue, but what about artwork?
I have been reading the letters regarding the possible removal of the fountain in Centennial Square and I have nothing to add to those comments.
I would not be upset, however, to hear about the removal of the Pavilion, Rock and Shell sculpture at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Alanna Wrean
Victoria
Light rail idea is great, but use existing tracks
The fact that a single local government, View Royal, is considering a light rail project is admirable. But to not use an already in place rail right-of-way to accomplish another project for civic renewal is, again, frustrating.
This project smells of a great way to waste taxpayer money when an investment in in-place infrastructure would build more than politicians’ egos.
J.C. Clarke
Saanich
Civil action needed to bring action on climate
Trevor Hancock has called for more urgency in climate action and adds to a litany of other voices.
Much of the delay relates to society waiting for the rich and powerful – government, business and banking – to push the agenda forward.
Dr. Hoesung Lee, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, points out that action by these stakeholders are essential but that waiting for them to act on their own will not get the job done.
This is because despite having the technological, physical and economic resources to urgently address climate change, they lack the incentive to do so.
In fact, they have a long history of co-operation and shared benefit from their involvement with fossil fuels, which must be overcome before they act.
A recent study reviewed the social actions needed to reach the Paris Agreement temperature targets. It found that major stakeholders, including civil society, lacked the ambition and commitment to act now.
It pointed out that by acting together, individuals have the capacity to successfully push institutions into action.
It recommended public demonstrations and legal action to recover the costs of physical damage, health effects and climate injustice.
Clearly, civil action is needed now to prod those with the capacity to change the world to act – all we have to do is stop pretending it’s someone else’s problem.
Aidan Byrne
Victoria
Let’s find better uses for all those biosolids
I can’t help being amazed by the Capital Regional District’s handling of the biosolids problem. People have been using animal and human waste as fertilizer for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Yes, we have more chemicals in our waste than in the past so perhaps we don’t want to use it on food production.
Surely we can do better than incinerating this resource and creating more greenhouse gases. Perhaps we could consider an experiment where we use the biosolids on new forestry plantations.
Use it on some and leave the others without and compare the regrowth of trees. We should think of it as a resource and use it as fertilizer rather than burning it as a fuel and creating more greenhouse gases.
John Miller
Victoria
Everyone needs to learn to slow down
Speed kills, but 30 km/h vehicular speed limits are becoming more common. It’s time to enforce speeding limits for bicycles and mopeds as well.
Pedestrians downtown now fear speeding bicycles more than cars. Speeding mechanized bikes actually make the Selkirk trestle dangerous for children and families.
Let’s try to be more neighbourly and slow down any kind of transportation in congested areas.
Patrick Skillings
Oak Bay
Politicians, please keep those promises
When is the last time a politician did what they said they promised to do?
I am not talking about meaningless generic politics where a politician says they will “restore public faith in politicians” etc.
I am talking about promises made to reduce taxes, implement efficient programs, save the homeless or provide immediate low-cost housing to productive, contributing members of society.
You can see why most people don’t vote, sadly because the outcome is a waste of time and only serves the individual and not the constituents.
I do not have a solution to a broken system but I realize that we are getting nowhere fast and wasting billions of dollars.
John Logan
Courtenay
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