Canada's Euthanasia Bill.

This past June, Canadian Private Member's Bill 407 was quietly presented to the House of Commons for first reading. It happened just before parliamentary summer recess. Most people didn't even notice C-407 because the nation's attention was focused on passage of other controversial legislation.

Bill C-407 is officially dubbed "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity)." It is dangerous because, soothing language notwithstanding, it is an act for the right to kill the sick and depressed with impunity! The bill proposes to:

* Allow anyone to kill a suicidal depressed or sick person, not just the terminally ill.

* The suicidal person only needs to be suffering from severe physical or mental pain. Depression could easily qualify.

* The suicidal person being killed must be at least 18 years of age. That opens the door for killing depressed teenagers.

* The suicidal person does not need to have tried all suitable therapies; they may have even refused available treatments.

* The suicidal person must "appear" to be lucid (not necessarily be lucid and the person making that assessment of lucidity need not be psychologically or medically qualified to decide on such matters).