I’ve been reading your coverage about Marilynn Leskun and the hospital’s efforts to put a do-not-resuscitate order on her. Enclosed is a medical card from the Fatima Centre.
I believe Archbishop Miller would find it an excellent teaching tool in meeting the challenge of the evil of euthanasia in today’s culture of death so loved ones are protected from those who want to hasten their death.
Terry Walman
Vancouver
“Medical Assistance in Dying” is growing because we seniors are not given the support and option to die naturally at home. We would love to die with dignity but the health system is not structured to assist us but rather utilize our homes and income that we took our lifetime to build up.
If we want home care we have to pay for it but if we go into the hospital the system pays for it.
It seems natural as most of the general population ages that we reverse this and work much harder to help seniors remain in their homes with medical and social care.
The PR about dying with dignity really means “the system feels you have used too much of the resources. It’s time to exit.”
Canada should become a leader in assisting the elderly to live their lives with the support they need.
Sandi Digras
Parksville
If nothing else, Terry O’Neill’s March 20 article “Hate report event long on ritual, silent on anti-Catholic attacks” clearly demonstrates the great range of opinions held by Catholics on the topic of “reconciliation.” However it’s devoid of any notion of the big picture, which is the mandate of the Human Rights Commissioner’s report on hate in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In that big picture is found an undeniable focus on all the bodies that expressions of hate were directed toward during the pandemic. The objective is to expose the similarities of the sources and recipients of hate. One such similarity is, and will always be, “anything or anyone that is DIFFERENT from me.”
So now that it is no longer a secret that Indigenous people in Canada have been recipients of hate for centuries, it is past time to address this uncomfortable and unacceptable truth. First and foremost this process desperately requires education of everyone, from government leaders down.
By association, every change in societal attitudes toward Indigenous peoples will be effective in dispersing hate directed to other groups, including Catholics. I believe Catholics know what they must do.
Penny Oyama
Burnaby
Re Peter Vogel’s Feb. 27 column “DALL-E takes on the art world”:
Every child has a talent for art but not every child has a talent for music!
The talent and joy in making art are erased pretty early on in primary school by art teachers who try to improve on what is already perfect: the artistic expression of a child.
Then comes DALL-E. Anyone can “paint” now.
Why is this not progress? As with ChatGPT where AI writes entire essays for people who lack intelligence, motivation, and the desire to learn through hard work, DALL-E paints on command.
Is this the creative spark that the Creator put into all of us?
Would it not be more honest if people who are not making art simply support those who do enjoy creative art making and put an original piece of art into their home? The art of a child, a simple piece of art done by a student.
We need people who encourage and support artists.
Marianne Werner
Vancouver
