Assisted suicide bill

[genandtonic]

ive popped this on Scotsnet as well, so apologies. I just wanted to raise awareness to anyone here that is in Scotland.
im not the most clever political person in the world, so apologies if I’ve got this wrong, but whether you believe in this bill or not, this seems a tad concerning given the Scottish governments current level s of nuttiness.

I got sent this from the righttolife oraganisation whether or not you agree with all of their views ( I don’t) I am glad they, and other groups are concerned about this.
given that the Scottish government don’t seem the most inspiring I’m a little concerned. They appear to be taking the English view and making it more extreme? I haven’t read it in depth so would appreciate anyone who knows more about these things adding to the thread.
It seems to have been debated 10 years ago and was voted out at that time.
now it is being proposed by …’MSP Liam McArthur (Scottish Liberal Democrat, Orkney) has lodged proposals for an Assisted Dying Scotland Members Bill. The Stage One debate and vote will take place on 13th May’

right to life news says..’Scotland’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee directly identified a large number of major flaws with the Bill in its Stage 1 report, and made it clear that dozens of major structural changes need to be made to the Bill, should it pass Stage 1. ’
heres a link to the main article from right to life
https://righttolife.org.uk/news/scottish-health-committee-raises-over-30-concerns-with-proposed-assisted-suicide-law
and one from the bbc
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98gzyr678eo
It seems there are many additions to the bill here in Scotland that aren’t in England and wakes. It would be very useful, I suspect, to write to your MP . There is a template at the end of the right to life link.
anyway, FYI in case it’s of interest. (And you are probably all already super informed and ahead of me)

Dear x
We are now just 6 days away from the Stage One vote on the Scottish McArthur assisted suicide Bill – it’s happening this coming Tuesday, 13 May.
Between now and then, I’ll be in touch a little more often regarding the Scottish Bill. Please do keep opening my emails and, most importantly, take the actions I highlight (usually at the end of each message). Every single one makes a difference.
U-TURN
You might have seen that Liam McArthur has just made a last-minute change to his Bill, raising the eligibility age from 16 to 18. It’s likely he did this because he knows support for the Bill is on a knife-edge.
While this truly disturbing aspect of the proposed law has been changed, despite this U-turn, this still remains a dangerous Bill. If passed, it would put thousands of vulnerable people at risk.
TAKE THIS NEW 30-SECOND ACTION TODAY
The disability rights group, Not Dead Yet UK, is asking people to contact their MSPs using a new tool on their website. It explains exactly why this Bill would be a disaster for people with disabilities.
Even if you have contacted your MSPs already, it’s really important to contact your MSPs again using this new tool – so your MSPs hear specifically about the serious risks this Bill poses to people with disabilities.
Please take action now and click the button below to use their tool to contact your MSPs. It only takes 30 seconds.
Act now - Click here to contact your MSPs
Thank you so much for all your help on this.
I’ll be in touch again soon.
With best wishes,
Catherine Robinson
Right To Life UK

We can’t trust the government and those in authority to follow the laws we currently have and apply them consistently without fear or favour.

If you empower the state to kill that opens up Pandora’s box. We can see how badly things are starting to go in Canada why would we want to follow them?

In response to a couple of posts about my saying we need to sort out palliative care.

This isn't because i underestimate that for some palliative care isn't relivant or what they want.

But it was clear that when the issue was discussed in the HoC last year, a lot of arguement were about people at the end of life who ended up feeling they were a burden, or couldn't afford care that would allow them a better quality of their remaining days.

Yes we should be able to do both at the same time, but we never do.

The HoC debate came about because of the chance of the lottery of a private members bill, not because anyone sat down and thought it all through.

Maybe there is a campaign group that has done a lot of research, and look at the different situations that might lead to someone wanting assisted dying.

And maybe the media is also responsible for not covering it as a serious issue. All too often in terms of the public it comes down to which more heartrending story can the media use.

Whereas what is needed is compiling the different situations this might become something that is wanted ie from an older person feeling they are asking too much of their family to help them continue to live to someone who has a terminal illness and the quality of life has deteriorated to a point that is unacceptable to them.

I dont know if anyone (the NHS?) keeps statistics, or because apart from those who are known to have gone to Dignitas, maybe it isn't known how many have ended their life.

So I am not in anyway dismissing individual stories, but they dont help form an understanding of the reality across the country.

Thanks for posting this.

It sounds like you have been really strong to have come to this point in your life.

And hope you go on finding small things that give you pleasure.

If it is legal for anyone in the UK to commit suicide, as it is today, regardless of the reason, it is not fair to take that right away when they cannot do it themselves. People in Canada quite rightly have the right to commit suicide, regardless of the reason, with help when they can’t do it themselves. We should have that same right here.

some patients spend their last weeks in agony, pain meds don’t help everyone.

So you don’t think we should even treat people who feel suicidal but may recover?

Presumably then when we are told trans people may commit suicide if not affirmed we should just say ‘ok, bye’?

Yes some people need better palliative care.

I know what palliative care means, I don’t need an explanation! And yes, if I chose to, at that time, I absolutely should be able to choose assisted suicide over being pumped full of drugs to keep me going when I don’t want to. Isn’t that choice? Or is choice only allowed if someone else chooses for you?

So I presume you also disagreed with the six months time to expected death of this bill and would look to see that extended asap?

I’d absolutely prefer it for me yes, however, I appreciate the reason for it.

I think people should be made aware of their options. Do you think suicide should be illegal?

That should be extended to 12 months.

I think people should be treated, helped to feel better and offered appropriate support so they are no longer suicidal.

Why 12 months? Isn’t that just as arbitrary as 6 months?

The problem with Dignitas is that you have to be able to afford it and be well enough to make the journey to Switzerland.
Anybody who helps you risks prosecution.
So it's probably safest for them if you travel alone, which means dying in a foreign country unaccompanied by loved ones.

I dont think anyone should have the right to insist someone else must kill them.

A miniscule number of people get a " perfect, peaceful" death at a time of their choice. Its really weird that this is being put forward as a human right.

And these drugs don’t give a ‘perfect, peaceful death’ either.

This chap chose firing squad over the very same drugs used in assisted suicide because he felt it more humane:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j0me0jzwko

Absolutely feckin gutted 😞

Are you in my position? Who are you to tell me what I should or shouldn't want. What treatment I should or shouldn't accept? Appropriate support? Will you be supporting my son when he sees his mother die in agony and without the dignity that she would have chosen? All because you think I feel ‘a bit suicidal’!

I don't see how it's any different to abortions.

My body, my choice.

Why is it okay for doctors to end the life of a fetus because the woman chooses to but when it comes to ending your own life this choice is considered "really weird"

Doctors who disagree with abortion are not forced to perform them

So you don’t think anyone should ever be treated for feeling suicidal?

You are asking for someone who is willing, to assist you with your right to die. Do you think suicide should be illegal? It’s just giving people choice rather than taking it away.

This bill didn’t include the luxury of being ‘willing’ to help kill someone’s - it would have required all doctors to do so whether they agreed with it or not, whether they thought the hours it takes someone to drown in their secretions whilst paralysed (which is how you die with these drugs) was inhumane or not.

5 years feels too long, 6 months too short, 12 months feels right to me. Remember this is not forcing someone to die, it is giving them the choice at that stage when they might face losing their sight, terrible suffering pain etc. They may decide I don’t want that, I want to have a peaceful and dignified and painless death, as available in many other more civilised countries than ours.