Assisted Suicide

MSP Margo MacDonald has launched a bid to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. I've just read this article in the Daily record and I'm not sure which side of the fence I'm on, to be honest. I think it would have to be a well controlled law but at the same time I can understand why people would want it to go through. I think when you have watched people close to you die from terminal illness, which has reached the stage of being a one way street, then its a very attractive option. But I also think its a minefield and would have to be well tied up to protect it from abuse. What do you all think? If you want to read the Margo MacDonald story, here's the link.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/2010/01/22/margo-macdonald-sparks-debate-with-plea-to-legalise-assisted-suicide-86908-21986920/

Ths is a difficult one. There are so many genuine cases where people want to help put their loved ones out of their misery, but I can’t really see they will legalise it, or maybe I just hope they don’t, because there will always be those that are ready to abuse the system and use it on the most vulnerable

for me I'd like the option of doing it if needed..surrounded by my family and feeling loved...not living in pain for years knowing I'm going to die anyway

i agree with it and it should be my option

I can understand people wanting to help their loved ones out of their pain in terminal illnesses but after helping care for my father when he was dying of a brain tumour and in the pain he was in I still wouldnt be able to bring myself to do this myself.

cookie wrote:

for me I'd like the option of doing it if needed..surrounded by my family and feeling loved...not living in pain for years knowing I'm going to die anyway

i agree entirely but i think the patient and the doctors/authority s concerned should have a pre arranged signed & witnessed documentation before the patient get s to the stage where he/she is so dosed up with drugs that they dont know where they are. take the onus away from the immediate family.? if its legal and thats what the affected person wants so it should be , let the person die peacefully without pain and with some dignity.

livingdoll wrote:

I can understand people wanting to help their loved ones out of their pain in terminal illnesses but after helping care for my father when he was dying of a brain tumour and in the pain he was in I still wouldnt be able to bring myself to do this myself.

I think, like I said already its a very tempting option but I don't think I could handle it either livingdoll. I agree with johno, its something that would ideally have to be settled before the person concerned got to the stage of being unable to make a rational decision, either with drugs or the illness, but this would have to be legally tied up to protect everyone concerned.

mazzie wrote:

livingdoll wrote:

I can understand people wanting to help their loved ones out of their pain in terminal illnesses but after helping care for my father when he was dying of a brain tumour and in the pain he was in I still wouldnt be able to bring myself to do this myself.

I think, like I said already its a very tempting option but I don't think I could handle it either livingdoll. I agree with johno, its something that would ideally have to be settled before the person concerned got to the stage of being unable to make a rational decision, either with drugs or the illness, but this would have to be legally tied up to protect everyone concerned.

excactly Mazzie, spot on. if i ever found my self in that position , i would like to be able to decide my on own . where the end is inevitable and there would be pain with no quality of life, id like to make my choice taking the onus away from my wife and family.
therefore im all for euthanasia to be legalised where a slow painfull death is inevitable.