Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bloc MP Francine Lalonde has cancer

The CBC News, and other news agencies, reported yesterday that Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde has announced that she won't be running for re-election in the next federal election because she has bone cancer.

Lalonde successfully battled bone cancer a few years ago. She has reported that the cancer is spreading rapidly.

We hope that the cancer will once again go into remission and Lalonde will receive the best medical care.

As for the coverage by the CBC, they stated that:
Lalonde made a name for herself in politics after introducing a private member's bill that would allow euthanasia and assisted suicide under strict conditions.

Bill C-384 was defeated 228-59 in a vote earlier this year.

Strict conditions?
- The fact is that Bill C-384 would have legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with mental or physical pain,
- You did not have to be terminally ill and it didn't define terminal illness.
- It was not limited to Canadian citizens.
- It defined competent as "appearing to be lucid."
- and much more.

The CBC would do us a great service by reporting the news and not trying to redefine the news.

Link to the CBC news article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/09/13/bloc-mp-francine-lalonde.html

5 comments:

Charlene Seale said...

CBC should be innundated with letters from viewers who do not want to be mislead or misinformed. A form letter posted on FB would mobilize the public to act.

Alex Schadenberg said...

Tom Koch sent me this comment by email. He asked me to post his comment because he is not on blogger.

I think Tom Koch is correct. I was bothered by the CBC refering to Bill C-384 as having tight controls but the fact is I should have been more concerned about her welfare.

Tom Koch's comment:
Alex Shadenberg's comments on the news that MP Francine LaLonde's cancer has reoccurred was unworthy. That we might think the CBC's description of her member's bill advancing euthanasia "under strict conditions" was incorrect, the point here is not the deficiencies of Lalonde's private member's bill or its defeat. The proper response is to wish Ms. Lalonde well in her battle with cancer and to let her know her service as a Member of Parliament is appreciated by members of the euthanasia prevention proponents.. While I--and others--disagreed with her argument she has been an honest and passionate parliamentarian. To not recognize this is to do the broader coalition a disservice. We should, instead, both wish her well and any and offer any and all encouragement and support that our members may provide. Anything less is churlish, and unworthy.
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I sincerely hope that Lalonde does well and I wish her and her family and friends the best.

Alex Schadenberg said...

Thank you Charlene:

Tom Koch is right.

At this time we should be more concerned about the well-being of Francine Lalonde, rather than the misleading comments by CBC.

ASYLO said...

It's my life and my choice. If I want to end it FOR ANY REASON, you have no right to stop me. You can try to talk me out of it, but you cannot directly intervene. If the government wants to provide an easy method with the help of a doctor or nurse to make the end clean, simple and tidy then what's the problem? There is no suggestion of coercion on the part of the government or anybody else so where's the threat? You people lack com[passion, understanding and intelligence. You allow euthanasia for animals in pain but not for people - who can actually make their wishes known. Get with it people and leave your phony religion-based ideas where they belong, in a church.

Alex Schadenberg said...

Dear Mike:

Its my life, its my choice only works as an argument for promoting suicide.

Legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide gives physicians the right to directly and intentionally cause your death.

You cannot protect everyone in this circumstance.