Scotland to Legalise Euthanasia
11January 25, 2010 by Aleksandra Łuczak
Found on: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
Margo MacDonald launches bid to make Scotland first part of Britain to legalise assisted suicide
Jan 21 2010
VETERAN MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) Margo MacDonald, who has Parkinson’s disease, today formally launched her bid to legalise assisted suicide.
The Bill would make Scotland the first part of Britain to change the law, which currently leaves Scots open to prosecution for culpable homicide (pol. umyślne zabójstwo).
The End of Life Choices Bill, if supported by MSPs, will allow anyone aged over 16 to request help to die.
It stipulates that the person must be diagnosed as terminally ill (pol. śmiertelnie chory) or permanently physically incapacitated, and finds life intolerable.
The person must have been registered with a GP (General Practitioner = lekarz rodzinny) in Scotland for at least 18 months.
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The introduced issue is certainly highly controversial and in contradiction to established ethics. However every human being should be able to decide about his or her life. A question whether we can force someone, suffering from an incurable medical condition, to live arises. For that person’s sake it should be allowed, but widely accepted moral standards and rules of most religions make the idea unacceptable. Surely the permission to end someone’s life in such manner must be backed up by reliable medical examination.
In my opinion Ms MacDonald’s idea could help a lot of people in Scotland. People decide about their life and should decide about their death if it is the only one way. I know that it is very controversial and could be uncorrect with religion, but I think that this bill should be accepted. Many Scots agree with Margo MacDonald and it means that they want to legalise euthanasia in their country.
Comment from Ula:
In my opinion everyone should have right to decide how he could die but only when you are very sick, suffer very much and you don’t have chance to recover. If this bill will not be accepted the number of suicides will grow. Ms MacDonald’s is a very brave women.
In my opinion, problem of euthanasia is the problem of everyone. Every people must answer the question: is it good or bad idea? Scotland is a tolerant country so why it should be forbidden? It surely resolves the problem of terminally ill people and it makes the situation of their family and friends easy. But is it morally considered… We should remember that Poland is a Catholic country and it won’t be completely acceptable, but we must learn to tolerate other opinions.
The problem of Euthanasia raises a great deal of controversy. According to many people it is inhumane, while others claim that it should be legal. In my opinion Euthanasia can cause more good than harm to the patient who has been diagnosed as terminally ill and has no chances of recovery.
Many films and TV programs has started to deal with this subject. For example Clint Eastwood directed a very good movie „Million dollar baby- Za wszelką Cene” which was awarded the Oscar and praised by many people. This film tells the story of a young woman who is a professional boxer and she is successful. Unfortunately she has an accident and she becomes permanently physically incapacitated and finds her life intolerable. The doctors are not able to help her. There are no chances for improvement. This film shows that such people suffer a lot and they are aware of their state but at the same time they have no right to decide abaut their life and death. ( I think that this film in worth watching.)
We should olso take into account the doctors’ point of view. A few months ago I saw Polish TV program devoted to this problem. The doctor who took part in this program described one of her patients. This man was terminally ill and everybody knew that he would die in a few weeks or months. He suffer a lot due to his illness and he and his family wonted to end this situation but because The Polish Law they couldn’t do anything. He died after 2 weeks. The question is –
Why did he have to suffer?.
In my opinion the opponents of euthanasia often don’t understand this problem. Most of them have never seen a person who is in such a situation and they have never talked with the families of the ill.
Margo MacDonalds has Parkinson’s disease so she understands this problem.
Some links to introduce the topic:
http://shass.mit.edu/research/philosophy
http://www.wiz.pl/main.php?go=1&op=2&id=193
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Inside
http://w.strone.morza.filmweb.pl/
Here is the view of future which can happen one day. Today we will accept euthanasia for old and incurable people. Next, for incurable children. Later the economy will say there is no place for old, disabled, mentaly ill people because they don’t work and the State have to pay for their retirement pension and rehabilitation, so they are useless. And in the End the whole story could probably end just like it was in death camps… Is a paradox, isn’t it? Yes – bright future! Let’s think about that in other way. If we will accept euthanasia, why should we give this power only for doctors? If one of your member of family would decide for euthanasia and the right will give you the power to give him the killing remedy would you do that? Not a doctor in clinic – but YOU! Another maybe more simple example – your beloved animal, would you be able to put to sleep him using your own hands? More people would like you lay the blame on others. So, what would be your choice?
In my opinion euthanasia should be legal. I myself am a healthy young person and I simply could not imagine a case when I become a paraplegic, for example my body becomes paralised. I am an active and independent person and an idea of me needing around-the-clock help is so terrifying that it’s almost surreal. I believe that there are a lot of people like me, who just won’t manage to cope with a serious illness or with becoming a handicapped person, and I think that they should be able to choose if they want to live like this or not. Another case is when a person knows that he or she is terminally ill, the person will die anyway so why should he or she suffer? Why terminally ill people are forced to suffer unbearable pain if they are done for anyway? I hope the case mentioned in the above article will not be the last one and that soon legislatures of other countries will follow this path.
I’m against euthanasia. I too am a young and healthy person like Karolina but in my opinion people shouldn’t decide whether they live or not. Serious illnesses usually make people do wrong decisions, they don’t think straight. For example someone is sick and he feels a lot of pain so he wants to die, but if the pain stopped he doesn’t. If euthanasia was legal such person would request an assisted suicide and it would be too late for them to see that if the pain stops the will to live comes back. It’s the same with corporal punishment. If someone for example gets the chair and later because of new evidence it is proven that he was innocent, then it’s too late for them anyway.
I think is very good news. In my opinion we should have to right to decide, how, when and where we will be life. The right doesnt enforce us to kill somebode, just give us capability of choice!
In my opinion euthanasia should be legal. There is no point in suffering. People should have right to decide if they want to live or not. I know that there is a big influence of family, religion etc. But no one should ever questioned that will of ill person is saint. I hope that in the future more countries will think about changes in law.
Euthanasia was always very controversial and I’m sure it will remain so all over the world. In my opinion it is wrong even in a very severe cases of illnesses. I disagree with all the arguments for euthanasia. It is not a release – it is an escape. Escape from problems first of all. Moreover, it is very often an act than helps not the person who dies but his or her family. Thanks to that they are free from responsibility and care. Furthermore, in my opinion – which I also find obvious – it is an act of killing. No matter when or if it is with the acceptance of patient.
Scotland is trying to follow the most “socially developed” countries of Europe as Belgium or Netherlands which have legalized euthanasia long time ago. In accordance with the new meaning and definition of life itself and regarding to the most listened all over the world authorities and even celebrities, we may conclude that euthanasia and abortion are natural rights for everyone. In the matter of our lives and lives of innocents nothing could be more further from the truth.
In my opinion Scotland should keep euthanasia not legalized.