The Language Police

Read Mark Pickup's latest blog "The Language Police" at http://markpickup.org

Today is the tomorrow I feared yesterday

Since becoming a grandparent I have been annoying friends with pictures of my grandchildren. In fact, at one point I sent so many photos by email to my friend Bob Schindler (father of Terri Schiavo) the sheer volume crashed his computer! After apologizing profusely, I decided to take the hint and scale back on my grandfatherly email boasting.

Yes, being a grandparent is proving to be one of the best and happiest phases of my life and that brings me to the point of this short blog.

I have had an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis for 26 years. In the early years
after being diagnosed, I was often affected by a series of terrifying roller coaster rides of MS attacks. I would go to bed at night not knowing what function I would wake up with or without. It was horrible! At times it was only the very real presence of Christ in my life and the love of my family that sustained me.

If I had despaired of life, and if assisted suicide had been available (like in Oregon and Washington state), and if I had taken that option, ... look what I would have missed! My five grandchildren bring me unspeakable joy and happiness.

My annoying people with emailed pictures of my grandchildren is really just another way for me to say I am able to celebrate life in all its stages, phases and eventualities despite a disease that is slowly destroying me. My disease and electric wheelchair can not take away my joy.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide acceptance is often fuelled by fear of the future. But today is the tomorrow I feared yesterday. My todays are filled with the only thing that ultimately matters in life: love.

Euthanasia not only kills people it kills the potential to love and be loved.

MP

http://stoptheabortionagenda.com/convention/

We All Matter

Read Mark Pickup's lastest blog "We All Matter" at http://markpickup.org

Baby Isaiah James May (October 24, 2009-March 11th 2010)

On March 11th, baby Isaiah James May died in the arms of his parents, Isaac and Rebecka May, at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital. He was surrounded by aunts, uncles and grandparents.

You may remember that baby Isaiah was born October 24th 2009 in a small Alberta town after a difficult 40 hour labour. His brain was oxygen deprived because his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Baby Isaiah was air lifted to the Stollery hospital in Edmonton. He was ventilator dependent throughout his short life and never emerged from a coma. You can read more details in previous blog entries.

The hospital told told Isaac and Rebecka their baby was brain dead. It must have been a terrible shock. At one point, the Mays were notified by official letter on hospital letterhead that baby Isaiah would be removed from his ventilator on January 20th 2010. The Mays wanted to give Isaiah 90 more days to see if he would improve but the hospital wouldn't budge. The Mays went to court to try and get the three months for Isaiah.

Isaac and Rebecka sought an independent second, third and fourth medical opinions of baby Isaiah's prognosis. They overturn every stone of possibility to give their baby a chance. It was only when Isaiah's hopeless situation became clearly evident with independent medical input kindly presented to them, did they finally agree to let Isaiah's respirator be turned off.

As I write this blog, Rebecka and Isaac are at their home planning baby Isaiah's funeral. Please lift up this beautiful and courageous couple in prayer.

Good night baby Isaiah, good night.

Mark Pickup

Mark Pickup's latest blog

Read the latest blog by Mark Pickup about the seminar "SEARCHING FOR MEANING IN SUFFERING: A Christian perspective" at http://markpickup.org

The tyranny of Canada's socialized healthcare

Danny Williams (60) is a self-made man. He was a multi-millionaire long before becoming Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Williams loves Newfoundland. He only takes a salary of one dollar a year as Premier. Under William's leadership, Newfoundland has transformed from a a depressed have-not province to an emerging place of promise -- thanks, in part, to well placed off-shore oil and gas. He has compassion and toughness in defending the rights of Newfoundland.

Last year Williams developed heart disease. He decided to seek heart surgery in the U.S. at his own expense (leaving the the provincial loonie he's paid annually in his pocket.*)

Friends of Medicare, the liberal Canadian media, and other defenders of Canada's universal healthcare system were outraged that Danny Williams did not patiently wait for his turn to have surgery in Canada. With the usual shrill indignation of Canada's socialist elites, they said Williams had some explaining to do when he got back to Canada! No he didn't.

I did not think he had any explaining to do whatsoever. Surely a man can spend his own money the way he wants! How are his decisions about his money anybody's business but his own?

Recuperating at his Florida condominium, Danny Williams was interviewed by Canadian media. "I was warned by my staff that this could be an issue," Williams said. "But this is my heart. It's my health and it's my choice." In short, Danny Williams thumbed his nose at his socialist critics. Good for you Mr. Williams, good for you.

The very media and government elites who tout "choice" when it comes to abortion decry a man's "choice" when it comes to his own life.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA
I can imagine if Obamacare becomes law, Obama would eventually appoint a Czar to oversee it and gradually strip away the private option to ensure there are no queue jumpers, no two tier healthcare -- one for the rich and another for ordinary people.

In the end, Americans could find themselves with a tyranny of socialized medicine -- just like Canada. Beware of the path Barack Obama and the Democrats take America!Does America really want Canadian style healthcare with its crippling debt by government mismanagement resulting in long lines waiting for necessary surgery, hospital bed closures and cutbacks in diagnostic imaging. Yet abortion on demand is funded -- unscrutinized and no questions asked -- regardless of whether taxpayers object? Think long and hard my dear American friends. Think long and hard.

Think of Danny Williams and imagine a place where a man's own money is up for public debate.

Mark Pickup

*The Canadian dollar coin bears the image of a loon. It's known as the loonie.