} on’t dictate right to die

Dear Editor:

Having just heard about the
judge’s ‘decision regarding Sue
Rodriguez, 1 must State that my
thoughts and prayers are with her.

As a registered. nurse, I have
cared for several patients with
amyotrophic. lateral sclerosis
(ALS, or Lou: Gehrig’s disease)
over the past'five years, and I can
assure you thatit is .a terribly
“tragic way to spend one’s “final
years.

Briefly, ALS is'a type of motor
disorder of. the nervous system in
which’ specific types of cells are
destroyed... There . is..no:. known

 gause, treatment, or cure.’
onan, symptoms
uscular weakness,

\
include'
difficulty

Royalty. bashing belittles ourselves |

Dear Editor:. .

- Occasionally, I chance upon the
column of Bob Hunter only to
hurry by that irreverent - but
perhaps irrelevant-. “surveyor of the
/human scene, =: “i

Too often he approaches a sub-
_ject with an open, not to, say emp-
“ty, mind, but without seeming to
have researched the subject in any
depth.

«! The House of Windsor and the
‘changing views. on royalty is the’
theme of his’ Dee, 27 column, and

swallowing and talking, progressi-
ng to spasticity and overactivity of
the reflexes, .

People afflicted with ALS
usually dic within two to five
years. ;

I challenge anyone who opposes
Sue's right to die with dignity to
spend a few days in an acute care
setting, caring for’ patients with

ALS,

Some patients spend their fast
years dependent on a_ ventilator
(respirator),. unable to even

‘ breathe on their own. Their bodies

become completely paralyzed.

By this stage, patients require a
tracheostomy, an opening created
in the neck, with the insertion of
an indwelling tube to. facilitate

‘indeed, the peccadilloes of the

family are fair’ game in the con-
temporary arena.

The world of post-Watergate
knows no. boundaries, but if we
ridicule ‘everyone and everything,
essentially: we belittle ourselves.
Yesterday’s generation is a natural
target — especially for aspiring
columnists and° TV playwrights,
and preferably during the lifetime
of its survivors — perhaps to burt -
as much as possible.

And it seems to fulfil the Oe:
dipus complex which may He deep

‘Councillor Crist would
rather dictate than listen .

' Dear Editors, ; '
Jd wish to strongly object to both
«the tone and content, of Coun,
Crist? 8 letter published on Jan.'1.
‘To accuse the majority of the

‘residents (and. those. ‘councillors “

- who agreed with us). of. having a
lower “social consciousness’’ is an
insult’ not’ only to” them, but: to
‘people everywhere, :

Unlike. those who.’ happen to,

“lots and now wish.to-reduce traf-
fic past “them;: the majority have:
considered. the: welfare of all resi-
. . dents,©>both:in.. and » near . our
- neighborhood.

We have carefully considered all :

aspects and: have conchided that
‘Crist is wrong on all counts.

The restrictions he imposed: —
® ‘have ' reduced the livability of |

‘children’ going

“have « purchased homes ‘on corner”. of . Mr.

the neighborhood;

@ have increased noise and pollu-
tion (as much as Crist would like,
exhaust: fumes don’t
the main roads!);

@ increased the traffic risk of all

School; '

’ suspicion

held on hy Gra
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passage of air and evacuation of
secretions, as well as frequent suc-
tioning. :

it has been my expericnce ‘that
often families stop coming io
visit, becatise it becomes too much
for them, and the patients die
alone.

Those people who claim Sue has
no right to request assisted suicide
should go to a hospital and watch
closely.

ALS can strike anyone — we |
should. all think about what we
would want in her situation before
trying to tell her she has no right
to a dignified death, relatively free
of suffering. |
Myra E. Percy, RN H
North Vancouver

K

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‘within so many of their activities.
The House of Windsor played a
major part — however much. it
may: be flawed by today’s histori-'
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we tend td cherish so many of
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we look with some
on those who try so
hard to destroy them in thes name
of entertainment. |

Kenneth W. Hext

North Vancouver

and why

j

just stay on ™-

to Highland a

@ severely disrupted the harmony" E

‘of our neighborhood.

Attempts to reduce the vatidity
Platts’, observations by
noting he docs not live on Thoru-

’ cliffe are equally dishonorable and

just reinforce the view that Coun.
_ Crist: would ‘rather dictate than
‘listen.

All we ask | is that
‘members treat usin a” fair and
“unbiased manner. :. we,
Corrie Kost : ; .
North Vancouver
at

}

~ Blevision violence i isa reality

"Dear Editor: |"

\ We. all: know | violent’ ‘enter-

“tainment’” on.television leads to:

violence in real life. .
If television .doesn’t influence

rea! life, why .do businesses spend

millions on television advertising?

But society is. magically able to.

“reduce our murder rate, by re-"

1

naming the. act of’one man delib:

erately shooting another with a

shotgun |. at close range «i‘man-

slaughter.”* / ee
Where is fantasy. and where ‘ ‘is

reality? « / !

i
Dr. Rodney Glynn-Morris
West Vancouver =:

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