7 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

LettersWrite to us! Got an opinion aboutan article? Send email touoft.magazine@utoronto.ca ormail to U of T Magazine, 21 King’sCollege Circle, Toronto, Ontario,M5S 3J3. Letters to the editor maybe edited for clarity and length.“More should be done totell older women abouttheir ‘actual’ chance ofbecoming pregnant.”– Lynn Lavallée torontoA Difficult TruthI sincerely appreciated the summercover story, “Parents − at Last!” by MarciaKaye. In particular, I liked thehighlighted box, “The Age Barrier,”which stated that even with the besttechnology most women over 40 havelittle chance of getting pregnant. I wentthrough five years of unsuccessful fertilitytreatment from ages 39 to 43.Several tens of thousands of dollarslater, I feel that more should be done totell older women about their “actual”chance of becoming pregnant. Kudos forstating the obvious!– Lynn LavalléetorontoDiverse FamiliesI noticed that the cover illustration forthe article “Parents – at Last!” did notinclude queer families. I hope that, inthe future, U of T Magazine can take amore inclusive perspective, especiallywhen dealing with an issue that affectsbasically all queer families.– Zach WitteRotman Commerce Pride AlliancetorontoLife and DeathYour item on Wayne Sumner’s enlightenedapproach to euthanasia was mostinteresting (“Ending It All,” Summer2010). It is strange that in Canada suicideis not illegal − not even theattempted kind − but helping someoneto perform that very same not-illegal actis. People who desperately wish to dieare usually not dissuaded by even theirmost caring friends and relatives. Thestate is not our friend; nor did it givebirth to us. It should not be able to sayto its citizens that they must cling to lifewhatever the circumstances. It can insistthat we not hurt other people, of course.But it shouldn’t play a role in keepingus alive if we choose, of our own freewill and with a clear mind, to die.Ethicist Margaret Somerville worriesthat euthanasia implies a lackof respect for “important societalvalues.” On the contrary, euthanasiaaffirms these values by supporting theintegrity of individual choice on anessential issue.– Geoff Rytell BEd 1975 oiSETorontoThe Right to DieThank you for publishing “Ending itAll.” The Right to Die movement hasgrown from one tiny American group,The Hemlock Society, to organizationsin more than 40 countries and an internationalfederation. There are now lawspermitting assisted suicide in at least sixcountries and one American state.So far, only Switzerland allows nonresidentsto come for assistance. Twoexcellent feature-length films haverecorded the full journey from decisionto final action: The Suicide Tourist and AShort Stay in Switzerland. Both programsare intensely honest and deeply moving,showing the support of spouse andchildren. There is absolutely no evidenceto support the “slippery slope”argument. On the contrary, there arenow fewer messy, sudden and hurtful(to relatives) suicide attempts where adoctor’s assistance is legal.I joined the Hemlock Society at theage of 30. My opinion was consideredweird at that time. I am now 77. Eachyear I see more and more public discussionof the right to die, and polls showa two-thirds majority of Canadianssupport permissive legislation.– John Alan Lee BA 1956 UCProfeSSor EmeritUS, U of TTorontoThe Stuff of LivesOne of the things I find frustratingabout U of T Magazine is its unremittinginterest in success. Why not focus moreon student, alumni and faculty failure?I understand the donor-relations imperativeand the need always to highlight4 WWW.MAGAZINE.UTORONTO.CA