According to an article in Vancouver’s Globe and Mail, after years of struggle and a recent traumatic event, Kathrin Mentler sought medical care at a local hospital for her suicidal ideation. Like America, Canada has spent millions on public service campaigns encouraging those contemplating suicide to seek professional help. 

Katherine, however, was not offered help. Instead, she was offered death. The hospital staff told Katherine that it would take a long time to see a psychiatrist and suggested she consider Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying program instead. 

A story like this might be funny if the consequences weren’t so severe, but they are. In this brave new world, killing is called “medical aid,” harm passes for help, and healthcare professionals recommend suicide to deal with suicidal ideation. The so-called “right to die” becomes an “option to die,” then an “expectation to die,” and eventually the “duty to die.”  

And people like Kathrin Mentler are in grave danger exactly where they should be able to find help.