Fred James

Lord Carey: I support assisted dying.

Archbishop Welby: Assisted dying is 'sword of Damocles' over vulnerable


Here are two guys who would normally be singing from the same hymn sheet.

Which one would you agree with?

Fredbargate

Lord Carey

Beaverstate

Yup, been there, though not personally.

Fred James

I'm certainly on Carey's side.

I had to have a cat put down recently and you really wonder why we are allowed to put an animal out of its suffering but not a dying spouse or parent.

If you want to read Carey's full statement in full it is here

Why I've changed my mind on assisted dying | Mail Online

Retired in Euskadi

Because animals are quite different to humans. As a shepherd, I had to put down sick lambs; hated doing it.
With humans, it becomes so very personal, but if one is in agreement with assisted dying, shouldn't therefore that person be prepared to "pull the trigger" & not leave it to someone else?

Bipat

Assisted dying is not euthanasia, it is helping someone who has made the decision to end their own life but has reached the stage of being physically incapable of getting their own tablets etc.

The controversy is whether people would be coerced into ending their own lives by others. Or even dying people might feel obliged to end their lives to save expense for carers. I think this has happened in USA where medical care is so expensive.

In UK on balance I agree with Lord Carey. It is not right to withhold relief to suffering people because others might misuse it.

Euthanasia is very different, and the question there is who would do it. It is unfair to put such decisions on a medical doctor.

Fred James

In this context, I don't think animals are any different. A terminally ill cat suffers pain and loss of the quality of life just like a human does.

Unfortunately, they rarely get the advanced palliative care that is available to humans, so they probably suffer more.

About the only difference is that they cannot make the decision to end their life so the responsibility for that decision lies with their owner. In many cases of terminally ill humans, they are past that point and the decision is made for them, legally or otherwise.

Similarly, they may well not be able to "pull the trigger" as you put it. In many cases, they are capable - people who go to Dignitas are usually capable of swallowing the lethal dose. In other cases, they can adjust the morphine pump themselves, but sadly, often they cannot which is why I think it should be legal to assist them.

HBG

I have some views on this highly important topic, but there is no point in posting them, all the sensible contributors to this part of the forum have been banned.

I’d best say no more in case I join them.

Lion in Winter

Many, if not most, of the terminally ill aren't in a position to do it tbemselves. They can't put in an IV or get access to the drugs, and some may barely be able to move at all.

Surely if they have the right to die, as humans they have the right to die humanely not by hanging or shooting themselves, or jumping off a bridge, always supposing they are physically capable of doing that. You wouldn't throw your old cat off a bridge - why should a human have to go that way? The way the terminally ill take responsibility is by asking for help. Only the willing respond.

Fred James

I'm sure your contributions will be well accepted by those members that are happy to contribute to this forum without the interminable name calling and personal attacks that unfortunately became the trademark of PDT.

I am sure, like many of us, you have some views that we will all be happy to hear about. Please don't feel that, because of the behaviour of others, that those views are not welcome.

Come on, let's hear them

stuboy

I'm as interested in why Carey has changed his mind all of a sudden now he is no longer in the top job.

A typical politician hiding behind robes who believes one thing and espouses and toes the party line.

Personally I would support anything that ends the suffering. We are far too sentimental about these things.

There was a while back a film starring Julie Walters as a doctor and also married to a doctor. He got this terrible illness and died in agony and later she developed the same symptoms herself. Given her background she was able to diagnose herself and from the experience of watching her husband die she knew what to expect.

She chose not to go down that incurable route and opted for Dignitas. With her children beside her and wearing a new outfit after having enjoyed a nice lunch she entered the Dignitas 'lounge' drank a very small glass of something a passed on to wherever.

It was one of the most moving things I have any seen on TV

How much better than being fully compos mentis unable to communicate waiting for someone to wipe your backside and feed you.

Sally Redux

I would certainly want that option.

Fred James

Why don't you read his article - he explains why he has changed his mind.

jimenato

Definitely sounds like an option I would like to have available.

BTW if it's that easy it makes you wonder why they don't use it for executions.

Fredbargate

In the case of assisted dying / suicide what happens to Life Insurance ??