Assisted Dying

Granjura you seem to have difficulty in accepting that some GN members have as much knowledge and understanding of the proposed Act as do you .... but take an opposing view as to whether it should become law.

Not at all- this is a discussion. But I did object to this:

Presumably, the majority of the people requesting euthanasia would have a physical, mental or emotional problem of some kind i.e be the very people who need help from social and health services.

which seemed to show that this person did not understand the proposal of the Dignity in Dying bill, which was intended for terminally ill people only, be it cancer of other debilitatiing diseases, and NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM for those with mental or emotional issues. To imply anyhow that someone who is dying and would rather avoid the last stage of suffering and indiginities is suffering from 'mental issue' is way out of order, sorry.

There was a long, very moving article in the New Yorker a few weeks ago about a middle-aged woman with only minor physical illnesses but recurrent depression whose doctor agreed she could die. Her children were, not surprisingly, extremely distressed and unhappy about it. There was also a young British man, sadly paralysed in a sports accident, who went off to Switzerland and was assisted to die. I see no reason to suppose the Dignity in Dying law would be any more effective in excluding mental illness and depression. I'm very glad the majority of MPs think the same.

But Dignity in Dying, with respect, just had much more stringent guidelines and conditions and safeguards- eg for 2 doctors to agree that someone has an estimated maximum 6 months to live, and has a terminal condition- there is NO comparison, surely with Dignitas or New York. I know many of you think it would be a slippery slope to similar cases should Dignity in Dying go through (it didn't, so you 'won') - but I truly believe we have NO RIGHT to force people to live to the awful and bitter, undignified end of many terminal diseases. As said, we wouldn't wish that on our beloved pets- so why oh why, our loved ones?

I am sorry I am repeating myself- but this is a Forum- and a discussion- and we are all free, you two, to try and persuade others with valid and hopefully persuasive arguments. And yes, I know that I am failing with several here. That's ok. I do imagine the woman with long-term depression and some disability (I do not know of her case) - will just find another, perhaps very unpleasant way, of ending her misery. Sad or tragic, at the end, her choice too.