Doctor Assisted Scuicides and Euthanasia

When the person we love is diagnosed with a terminal illness, is it better to respect their wishes and allow them to die with dignity or prolong their suffering because we are unwilling to let them go. The other day while visiting an older friend with a terminal illness, I began to question whether it is truly right to extend the death and suffering of the ones we love because we are unwilling to accept that it is their time. During the first few visits when my friend had been recently diagnosed, he still seemed to be in good condition. But as time passed, he gradually deteriorated to the point where he was not even half alive. He had a series of small strokes loosing the ability to communicate and perform simple functions. A feeding tube had been deposited into his stomach, but then removed because of vomiting. He slept most of the time because the only strength he had was to open his eyes, and see the beautiful world around him that he could no longer share. He was trapped in a decaying shell with no escape. Hearing the gruesome details of his last few days was difficult to bear, but experiencing them is unimaginable. We did not prolong his life but his agony, and instead of reminiscing on good memories that we shared with him throughout his life, we simply created bad ones. My friend was loved, but did not go gently into the night.

As a society, we have rules and laws to follow which have been set in order to provide us with a safe and peaceful society to protect us from violence. Are these terminally ill patients really being protected from our laws? Because of our laws, patients with terminal illness are forced to suffer an extended pointless and painful death. For instance, Sue Rodriguez had the courage to challenge our laws. Rodriguez suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease, which is a terminal disease that attacks the central nervous system. Rodriguez wanted to be able to end her life at a time of her choosing, but knew that she would be physically incapable of killing herself when the time came. Rodriguez was afflicted with the deadly disease as she fought for euthanasia laws to be changed in the early 1990s, but never lost faith in her argument and continually persisted till she changed history. When Rodriguez took her case to court, she lost her legal battle when the Supreme Court of Canada decided by a vote of five to four that assisted suicide should not be legalized in order to protect the life of those who are vulnerable. She died by suicide in 1994. Since then Canadian doctors and scientists spent the past two years examining end of life issues, and are adamant that their recommendations would not lead to compelled euthanasia of those who are vulnerable. It’s been almost twenty years since Canada's laws on assisted suicide have been challenged by a terminally ill person, and now a similar right to die case has plunged the issue back into the spotlight. The issue had been presented to the courts during August, the summer of 2011. The British Colombia Supreme Court is heard a case from a Kelowna woman who suffers from the same degenerative disease, ALS, who requested that her doctor be permitted to end her life before she becomes unable to move. She had been working with the Farewell Foundation however; the foundation lost its court battle to have the laws changed because its plaintiffs were anonymous. If the last few days of her life will be nothing but pain, and there’s no hope, then she should have the option to pull the plug. Canada should have a permissive yet carefully regulated and monitored system with respect to assisted suicide.

In my opinion, doctor assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia should be legally permitted for such individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and are competent to make free and informed choices that their life is no longer worth living. The irony is that in the modern western world, we have the right to live how we want, but we don't have the right to die as we want. Which is more important to you? Shouldn’t the dying depart this earth with dignity and peace or endure the relentless stripping away of their physical and mental abilities?

Biodiversity

Thousands upon thousands of plant, animal, and microorganisms species within different ecosystems of the planet such as rainforests, oceans, coral reefs, and deserts all making up are planet is known as biodiversity.

Why should we care about declining biodiversity? Biodiversity boots ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role. For instance, a large number of plant species means a greater variety of crops, greater species diversity ensure sustainability for all life forms, and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

Currently, a major threat to Canada’s biodiversity is invasive species. Invasive species are “pests” that come from other countries or regions and are called “alien” when they move outside their native environment. Invasive species degrade habitat, introduce parasites and disease, and lead to species at risk. Invasive speciecs move into ecosystems and take over, killing local species and harming food webs.

In addition, fishing, hunting, forestry, tourism and agriculture can all be affected by invasive species. Some examples of invasive species are zebra muscles, sea lamprey, and emerald ash borer. In the Great Lakes Basin, invasive species foul water intakes, reduce the value of commercial and recreational fisheries, and reduce property values. Every year invasive plants cost the agriculture and forest industries in Canada about $7.5 billion. In the Great Lakes, damage associated with zebra mussels has cost between $3 billion and $7.5 billion. Fighting and preventing the spread of invasive species is also extremely expensive. That’s why the best plan is to prevent invasive species from entering Ontario in the first place.

Lastly invasive species can be dangerous to human health. For example, giant hogweed, a plant introduced from Asia, is toxic. The plant’s sap can cause painful burning blisters on skin and  temporary or permanent blindness if it gets in your eyes.

ISU Reflection Presentation: Human Trafficking

What was the most important/interesting thing that you learned during the presentations of your peer, and how does this change your perspective on the world.

In our World Issues class the presentation thus far that has impacted me the most is “Human Trafficking” presented by Robin. Although I am quite familiar with the issue of human trafficking in developing worlds, Robin’s presentation brought to my attention some dreadful specifics I was not aware of. The United Nations highlights human trafficking as one of its key concerns. In a study of 155 countries it found that sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking, with 79% of victims used for the sex trade; 18% are used for forced labour. Human trafficking is a crime against humanity and violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set by the United Nations. It involves the act of recruiting, transporting, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Trafficking often occurs from less developed countries where people are rendered vulnerable to trafficking by virtue of poverty, conflict or other conditions. Most trafficking is national or regional, but there are also notable cases of long distance trafficking. Europe and Asia are the most prominent for victims from the widest range of destinations.

Although human trafficking is mainly seen in the third world we cannot forget this problem also occurs at home. With forthcoming federal laws targeting human trafficking, analysts say youth need to know criminals prey on young adults to feed prostitution rings in Canada's big cities. The RCMP website notes that youth, runaways, and new immigrants as well as anyone who is economically disadvantaged could be a potential victim. After viewing this presentation my perspective on the World remains the same, however I feel much more informed and inspired.

In addition, Robin’s presentation was quite motivating by creating personal connections from statements of victims and successfully captured the audience’s attention through her introduction. However, although Robin was self assured she needed to maintain eye contact audience and an enthusiastic tone instead of reading word for word from a script. Robin was able to initiate a heated debate on whether prostitution should be legal in Canada and whether legalizing it will protect the victims of trafficking or make them more vulnerable.

Global Gender Equality

Education is widely recognized as the gateway to economic security and opportunity. In developing countries, particularly for girls and women, education remains elusive. For instance, in many areas of Afghanistan, young girls are often taken out of school once they reach teenage years and are eligible to become mothers. Cultural factors and the reluctance to send girls and boys to the same school after third grade also play a large role of preventing girls from attend school. Furthermore, China’s one child policy has heightened the ratio between males and females. Naturally, 105 males are born for every 100 females. However, the desire to have males has caused an increase of 114 males for every 100 females among children from birth through the ages four years. Similarly, the number of females born and surviving in India is significantly less compared with the number of males, due to the disproportionate numbers of female fetuses being aborted and baby girls deliberately neglected and left to die. Abortion, neglect, abandonment, and infanticide have been known to be more prevalent to female infants. The normal ratio of births should be 950 girls for every 1000 boys, however in some regions the number is as low as 300. In my opinion, creating awarness of the issue, reducing poverty, and giving equal education opportunities from governments and NGO’s is the best way to solve this issue.

NSA AIC Feedback Reflections

            While working as Marouf al-Bakhit representing Jordan in the Arab-Israeli Conflict simulation I have come to realize how important the conflicts in the Middle East have become and how difficult it can be to negotiate with other nations. In my opinion we were powerful representatives of Jordan and diligent participents throughout the AIC website. Through participating in this simulation I developed my critical thinking skills, learned how to compromise, and became more informed about Middle Eastern cultures. We did not have an issue contacting our NSA when we were unclear or wanted something proofread. In adition, our primary goal was to do what was best for our people and our country. I initiated many mature, diplomatic compromises and trade agreements, created many alliances, and communicated with many countries hearing their ideas and thoughts about the issues at hand. We are proud of our press release, strategic goals statement, action form, and the work we have put into this simulation. I have come back from this simulationas a stronger more informed World Issues student.

Belarus: Dictatorship

            "When the people fear their goverment there is tyranny, but when the goverment fears the people there is democracy." ~Thomas Jefferson. Democracy is defined as a form of goverment in which citizens have an equall say in decisions that affect their lives and a certain amount of participation in the development and passage of legislation. In most cultures democracy is highly valued as it gives citizens a voice to be heard with. However, there are leaders around the world who still abuse their power; even under a "democracy". In our World Issues class we have been asked to read the Maclean's article "Belarus: Europe's ugly little dictatorship." and post are opinions pertaining to the issue.Ales Michalevic practiced politics in Belarus for quite some time and ran as a canidate in last December's presidential election. His rival Lukasenko won 80 percent of the vote which was difficult to beilve as Lukasenko's goverment was violent, corrupt, and economically as well as morally bankrupt. Thousands spilled into the streets in protest and Michalevic was arrested when he refused to read a text accusing other canidates for inciting mass disturbances and "hoolagaism". He was tortured in prison but released two months later and made his way illegaly to Ukraine. “It’s not about Lukashenko, it’s about what comes after. It’s not about the next dictator, it’s about a strong civil society.” said Michalevic. In Canada, laws and legislation is follows rule of law and society's rights and freedoms have been recorded in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognized by goverments and society.

To Act or Not to Act

Whether its fear, ignorance, or approval there are many reasons why a person chooses to become a bystander. For the following blog post we have been asked to give a brief summary of a certain incident where we have failed to act. Off the top of my head it is difficult to choose a good incident pertaining to this issue, however; I can think of many hypothetical situations where a person chooses to become a bystander. For example, someone may choose not to act out of fear for their life. It can be dangerous to approach a large group of people on your own who are singling out a victim such as a gang in downtown Toronto robbing a civilian. In my opinion the best way to react in this situation would be to call for support, such as police, who are trained and qualified to handle serious and dangerous situations. However, there are many ways you can make a stand and speak up. Following clip is a good example of speaking out against bullying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJut7KQhI4

It is wrong to say no one stands up against bullying. Stop A Bully is a Canada wide anti bullying program developed by a British Colombian teacher, allowing any student who is victim or witness to bullying to be able to safely report it to school officials without fear of becoming a target themselves. Julie Rousseau, the Principal of Rick Hansen Secondary, has shown that her school has made confronting school bullying and creating a safe school environment a top priority at the school, which includes using the Stop A Bully safe reporting system. Taking pro-active steps instead of reactive steps is the most effcient way to combat bullying. Students often times endure bullying because they hope it will go away or they fear a consiquencial reaction if they stand up! Creating awarness as well as NOT ignoring bullying incidents in your school and community will reduce the drastic outcomes we hear of so often. As you can see above there are many ways to proactively respond to bullying, so stand up and don't be a bystandor!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1jNAZHKIw