Gloria's fight validated

The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Canada Friday on assisted suicide finally turns the page on a dark era in human rights in our country.

The battles of Sue Rodriguez and West Kelowna's Gloria Taylor were not in vain.

What could be more fundamental to one's own sense of self than the right to determine when you've had enough of this earthly plane? How much suffering must a person go through?

That's a choice for the individual, their family and their god, with advice from their doctor. No one else need get involved.

Anne Fomenoff, Taylor's mother, was excited Friday, following the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Canada's ban on physician-aided deaths for mentally competent but suffering patients.

Taylor, who was stricken with ALS, campaigned for the right to a dignified death until her untimely fate from an infection in 2012.

Friday's decision validates her position.

Canadian attitudes have changed on the matter since Rodriguez's fight in the early 1990s, and now, the right to die is written into law in several countries and U.S. states.

Parliament has been given a year to draft new legislation on the matter. But, the battle is far from over.

Much as you can never get opposing sides to agree about politics, religion or abortion, there will be no convincing those who are opposed to assisted death.

And there are many questions to be answered. Will assisted deaths take place in hospitals or at doctor's offices, hospices or even people's homes?

There are legitimate concerns about addressing the rights of the disabled and mentally infirm, but government has a year to come up with a solution that recognizes the rights of the individual while protecting those of the most vulnerable.

— News Director Jon Manchester