THE fact that more
than 130 peers had registered their intention to participate in the debate over
Lord Falconer’s bill on legally assisted dying made headline news.
This may at first
seem impressive, but given the average age of those elevated to the House of
Lords this is hardly surprising – they will have a vested interest I would have
thought.
This is a complex
and sensitive topic, and after a lengthy debate, the bill passed its second
reading recently and will now be examined before passing to committee stage.
However, the Prime
Minister David Cameron has said he is not convinced by the arguments for
legalising assisted dying.
Without Government
backing, it is unlikely to be debated in the Commons, so will not become law.
Many maintain that
this bill would mean “less suffering, not more deaths”.
Hardly a week goes
by without someone who feels that they have no quality of life challenging
current legislation in an attempt to exert some choice over the time and method
of their own death.
It seems extraordinary
that on a daily basis we all make choices, some legal, some not, over how we
wish to live, yet the most important choice of all is denied us.
Dying is an
emotive issue, whether or not we are reaching the end of our own lives, or
witnessing the painful demise of a loved one.
There is of course
the argument that changes to legislation would facilitate a breeding ground for
the vultures ready to swoop in on the rich pickings of the recently departed.
Much of the debate
centred on the safeguards that must be in place to protect the vulnerable from
abuse, and that the final decision must always be made by the patient.
All that I ask is
that when my time comes, whenever it is, that my death is swift and pain-free,
that I’ve been able to say goodbye to loved ones, put my affairs in order, and
sip that final glass of champagne.
Not too much to
ask I hope. We all have different hopes and aspirations, and I would not want
to deny someone else that choice.
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