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[Politics] Assisted dying
- Thread starter Mellor 3 Ward 4
- Start date
chip
Well-known member
Not a good analogy that one, the driver assist in my car needs prosecuting.
And my point was that assisting someone in ending their own life should not be a crime. At present, this includes accompanying people to a clinic in another country where no crime is being committed. We already have all the laws we need to protect people from being assisted aginst their will. Like any other laws, some people will ignore them. I just don't think this is a matter for the state to stick its snotty nose in.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I know of medical staff in the north, who are told to make it difficult to tell parents the sex of the baby when scanning, as daughters weren’t wanted.
If the driver assist is sitting on your lap, they certainly do need prosecuting!
(It was therefore a very good analogy)
As for your second point, if it is currently a crime then it is a crime. Whether it ceases to be so will be a matter for parliament to decide.
Additionally, as others have eloquently explained, using facts, experience and knowledge, it is very certainly not the case that we already have laws that would protect vulnerable people from being assisted against their will.
That why the caveats have been discussed at such length on this thread.
Finally, (what may amount to) murder is definitely something the state should stick its nose into.
You appear to think that all assisted death scenarios are where a loving family surround the bed of a smiling terminally ill relative who, eyes wide open, and with joy in their heart, has made the independent and fully informed decision to end their own life, using the necessary assistance of others. If it were that simple there would be little need for a debate.
ROSM
Well-known member
Thank you for taking the time to post this. It is food for thought.
I wish you all the best
chip
Well-known member
We definitley have laws against murder and coercive control. Do we really need more? I think we are philosophically miles apart on this, but do you really need to resort to being patronising while not really engaging in "debate" yourself? I quite understand why people have reservations.
I've seen palliative care in action, and quite recently. Not my idea of a humane or satisfactory death. I'm certain that others will think differently. I'm less certain that they have relevance to my thinking or why that should influences the choices that others have. I've known people (two) who have travelled to Switzerland to die, I don't have the illussions you attribute to me.
Juan Albion
Chicken Sniffer 3rd Class
I have been present with someone as they went through an assisted death. It was almost surreal to be having a normal conversation with her, knowing she would be dead within the next ten minutes because she had chosen to do this. She had brain cancer but there were no outward signs of whatever she was enduring. The fatal dose was administered by a doctor, but other members of staff chose to opt out of being present.
Having been through it with someone, I still cannot say I have a firm opinion either way on whether it is right or not. At most I would say that I don't think it is my right to make the decision for someone else. It has been legal here for a few years now and one thing I would add is that the sky didn't fall just because it became legal.
Having been through it with someone, I still cannot say I have a firm opinion either way on whether it is right or not. At most I would say that I don't think it is my right to make the decision for someone else. It has been legal here for a few years now and one thing I would add is that the sky didn't fall just because it became legal.
I have commented at length on my views on this**. You clearly haven't read what I have written, so get off your high horse.
Your comments on assisted death have been sweeping and parochial and have glibly ignored the very real concerns about the issue.
Read the post above by @cheshunt seagull and have another think about this.
Just making assisted death legal, without including massive loads of caveats and checks and balances, is borderline grotesque. This seems to be your position, to the point of suggesting the state keep its nose out of it (if it was you that posted that quip, apologies if it wasn't*). That's madness.
Edit It was you*.
**See my post #68.
- Apr 13, 2015
- 3,884
I take the view that we are a society where it is vigorously promoted that a person can do/say or be whatever they want as long as they don't tangibly hurt anyone else in the process...... therefore, I say 'aye' .
I don't follow your logic. For it to be a personal choice, MPs have to make it legal.
Exactly the same as smoking crack which, I am told, some people think is a personal choice because....er, it should be
Assisted death is of course not the same as smoking crack. It is, in fact, a tad more dangerous. Apparently.
(Not being facetious about the issue, rather witheringly irritated by some of the discourse).
Silverhatch
Well-known member
Pass where?
I'm pro the proposed bill. The fact that it is sometimes considered the thin end of the wedge is interesting.... in other countries who have gone down this path there hasn't been much traction in terms of trying to get the law reversed - in fact the opposite. There have been more assisted deaths than originally expected. I would say that's for a reason - it's what people want, having seen it in action in their country.
I'm always interested to hear different views, but IN GENERAL those who have seen loved ones suffer tend to be pro assisted dying and those who oppose it have never experienced such circumstances at close quarters. As I say, this is a generalisation.
Also, I have only ever heard of one person who has changed their opinion over the years from pro- to anti- but there are many who have changed their minds in the other direction when they start to get affected themselves. A high profile one is Brian Rix (BBC article here)
I'm always interested to hear different views, but IN GENERAL those who have seen loved ones suffer tend to be pro assisted dying and those who oppose it have never experienced such circumstances at close quarters. As I say, this is a generalisation.
Also, I have only ever heard of one person who has changed their opinion over the years from pro- to anti- but there are many who have changed their minds in the other direction when they start to get affected themselves. A high profile one is Brian Rix (BBC article here)
Terminally ill actor Brian Rix calls for assisted dying law change
Terminally ill actor and disability campaigner Brian Rix, 92, says the law on assisted dying needs changing, having previously opposed it in the House of Lords in 2006.
www.bbc.co.uk
Firstly you have my deepest sympathy for your diagnosis. Both my parents died from cancers, my mother 8 years from diagnosis and my father about 6 months. In neither case did they receive treatment to attempt to cure, only to alleviate the symptoms.
You mention about the bullying/control of your friend, maybe the safeguards in place would have helped them in that if that partner had tried to go down the assisted dying route, your friend would have seen two separate doctors and a judge. Of course, it may not have made any difference as, being aware of the safeguards, the partner may have just continued to do what they were doing.
As for the pressure you say you might put on yourself, is that any different to now? People may put pressure on themselves and go on to take their own life as the law stands at the moment, most probably won't. If assisted dying is introduced, it still remains an option. There will still be many people that, irrespective of how bad their health becomes will not chose the assisted dying option.
Probably not the thread for that. We all know what he meant.
chip
Well-known member
I think you're the one smoking crack here. You know nothing of my experience but glibly ignore my comments, you are the one in stirrups on a Suffolk Punch. I have spent much time thinking about this since a friend took their own life. I haven't ignored anyones concerns, or tried to belittle them. I've thought about death, and my death in particular, a lot in the past decade. We each have an individual view, shaped by facts, knowledge and experience. We each take something different. You seem to think I'm advocating euthenasia, I'd just like a friend to pass me a filled syringe when I chose to leave this life. Others will have differing views and I'm not suggesting any interference in that.
You talk about vulnerable people, only the ones you like I suspect and have quite a controlling tendancy. You seem to know what's best for other people and lack logic or coherence in your argument. My point is simple, an individual has a right to end their own life. In no way is that any other person's decision or gift. But, my views are cleary unacceptable to you. Tough.
I'll pop you on ignore. Ta ra.
Last edited:
chip
Well-known member
About 20 terminally ill people in UK die in unrelieved pain each day, research finds
Office of Health Economics says it used ‘most conservative of estimates’ and ‘true number is likely to be much larger’
www.theguardian.com
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #100
Debate is today.
Strong (and sensible) arguments on both side.
Strong (and sensible) arguments on both side.