I used to believe in the EU. That was before the referendum. I took that time to read everything I could and talk to people. The more I learned, the more anti EU I became. The same has happened with assisted dying. At the very least, there should have been some kind of public debate which went into the issues in depth and possibly a referendum. I was shocked when the bill passed so easily and as Kathleen Stock points out, the level of debate from MPs was infantile. It just shows the calibre of our leaders these days. And the more I see of state control, the less I want state involvement in our lives. You’re right Dusty about the link to gender surgeries. What a heartbreaking story. Thanks as ever for great work. One day we’ll be able to discuss other issues properly rather than the insanity of gender ideology.
I agree that there should, at least, have been a referendum on such a fundamental issue and then full discussion could have taken place. People could have been informed of the 'slippery slope' horror stories from Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands where assisted dying is legal. I also think that there has been sleight of hand by the Labour Government encouraging a private member to take the bill so that they can say they are not formally backing it albeit that the majority of Labour MPs including our new awful MP ( who has failed to respond to five e-mails from me to date) voted for it. Well done Wes Streeting voting against. If this gets enacted I don't see how he could remain as Health Secretary.
What we do need I think is a debate about how to perhaps improve palliative care but that was by-passed.
In principle, people having a limited right to choose the time, with the assistance of physicians and pharmacists, of their death under certain limited circumstances is a fine idea, and I have supported it for more years than I can remember. However, there is no practical way of bringing this to fruition at this time in history. Parliament is too lightweight to control misuse (see the trans debacle), the Courts are in thrall to the European Court of Human Rights, which in turn has lost all perspective and effectively become the primary decision-maker in Europe (and further afield). (As an aside, I never thought I'd be in this position: distrustful of courts, scornful of the ECtHR, lacking faith in the elected legislature and holding respect only for the House of Lords.) Mission creep is inevitable - it took just 12 years for Belgium to go from allowing physician-assisted suicide (or murder, to give it the correct name) in very limited circumstances to, allowing it for depressed young people. Canada took a shorter time to get to suggesting people needing moderate aids to independence should consider death as an alternative. Every single jurisdiction in which killing the sick and vulnerable has become legal has drifted in a short length of time to include more conditions, such that deaths by assisted suicide are a significant percentage of annual mortality figures. I know that some assistance to die has been available sub-rosa for a long time - I have twice administered injections to patients, prescribed by doctors, knowing that it would be the last thing I ever did for their living body. I have no regrets - but the fact that the doctor and I could have been in serious trouble meant that it was not done lightly.
I could go on (and on, and on!), but I'm in danger of writing more than Dusty, but just a last thought (it came to me this morning whilst decorating!) - I wonder what is the overlap between those supporting killing the sick and vulnerable and those who don't support the death penalty for murderers? I have a feeling that it is quite large.
Great comment Jeremy. I too supported assisted dying for many years but no longer, and you’ve articulated some of the problems far better than me. The authoritarian tendency of so many in power does not bode well for the future.
As TT says, great articulation of the problems. One thing that I forgot to mention is that it ,for me, also chillingly brings to mind the fact that a significant number of those killed in the concentration camps were disabled people. I recently featured Christy Brown of My Left Foot fame. What might have happened to him in Canada or Belgium?
It is a such a colossal thing even when done to an animal. The moment when the fatal injection was given to our previous beloved cat ( who had kidney failure and was no longer eating or drinking albeit we had put off the inevitable end for a week to see if a miraculous recovery might occur!) will always be seared into my memory!
No the assistant is still going strong, TT. You may recall he was a stray. He is not microchipped and we have virtually given up on finding who the previous owner was. My guess now is that he was dumped in our area!! He had been wandering around the area for a while before us mugginses allowed him in. I may feature him in a photo again soon. We don't know his exact age of course but would guess at 3 or 4. He moved in at virtually the same time as I started this substack hence me thinking of him as my assistant sent to me by the God of the Terfs 😂
If I am getting annoyed with the gender borg he looks at me with his big soulful eyes as if saying 'Chill, Dusty'
😄 that’s good. We’ve just had to put down our beautiful German Shepherd. She suddenly went downhill and started having fits on the day of the German embassy protest. The vet suspected a brain tumour and we didn’t want her to suffer by having tests done. I’ve had loads of pets and it’s heartbreaking every time.
Dear readers
Just a heads up that Mr Menno has a premiere today at 20.30 GMT called 'Terfing at the Gay Hotel' .
See some of you there
Dusty
Tough read about Nancy :-(
Hi Katrina
Yes what a story!! Almost Shakespearian!!
Dusty
I used to believe in the EU. That was before the referendum. I took that time to read everything I could and talk to people. The more I learned, the more anti EU I became. The same has happened with assisted dying. At the very least, there should have been some kind of public debate which went into the issues in depth and possibly a referendum. I was shocked when the bill passed so easily and as Kathleen Stock points out, the level of debate from MPs was infantile. It just shows the calibre of our leaders these days. And the more I see of state control, the less I want state involvement in our lives. You’re right Dusty about the link to gender surgeries. What a heartbreaking story. Thanks as ever for great work. One day we’ll be able to discuss other issues properly rather than the insanity of gender ideology.
You're welcome, TT.
I agree that there should, at least, have been a referendum on such a fundamental issue and then full discussion could have taken place. People could have been informed of the 'slippery slope' horror stories from Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands where assisted dying is legal. I also think that there has been sleight of hand by the Labour Government encouraging a private member to take the bill so that they can say they are not formally backing it albeit that the majority of Labour MPs including our new awful MP ( who has failed to respond to five e-mails from me to date) voted for it. Well done Wes Streeting voting against. If this gets enacted I don't see how he could remain as Health Secretary.
What we do need I think is a debate about how to perhaps improve palliative care but that was by-passed.
Dusty
Agree with all that Dusty and a good point about Labour. Cowards.
In principle, people having a limited right to choose the time, with the assistance of physicians and pharmacists, of their death under certain limited circumstances is a fine idea, and I have supported it for more years than I can remember. However, there is no practical way of bringing this to fruition at this time in history. Parliament is too lightweight to control misuse (see the trans debacle), the Courts are in thrall to the European Court of Human Rights, which in turn has lost all perspective and effectively become the primary decision-maker in Europe (and further afield). (As an aside, I never thought I'd be in this position: distrustful of courts, scornful of the ECtHR, lacking faith in the elected legislature and holding respect only for the House of Lords.) Mission creep is inevitable - it took just 12 years for Belgium to go from allowing physician-assisted suicide (or murder, to give it the correct name) in very limited circumstances to, allowing it for depressed young people. Canada took a shorter time to get to suggesting people needing moderate aids to independence should consider death as an alternative. Every single jurisdiction in which killing the sick and vulnerable has become legal has drifted in a short length of time to include more conditions, such that deaths by assisted suicide are a significant percentage of annual mortality figures. I know that some assistance to die has been available sub-rosa for a long time - I have twice administered injections to patients, prescribed by doctors, knowing that it would be the last thing I ever did for their living body. I have no regrets - but the fact that the doctor and I could have been in serious trouble meant that it was not done lightly.
I could go on (and on, and on!), but I'm in danger of writing more than Dusty, but just a last thought (it came to me this morning whilst decorating!) - I wonder what is the overlap between those supporting killing the sick and vulnerable and those who don't support the death penalty for murderers? I have a feeling that it is quite large.
Great comment Jeremy. I too supported assisted dying for many years but no longer, and you’ve articulated some of the problems far better than me. The authoritarian tendency of so many in power does not bode well for the future.
Hi Jeremy
Thanks for this.
Writing more than me! Heaven forbid 😂
As TT says, great articulation of the problems. One thing that I forgot to mention is that it ,for me, also chillingly brings to mind the fact that a significant number of those killed in the concentration camps were disabled people. I recently featured Christy Brown of My Left Foot fame. What might have happened to him in Canada or Belgium?
It is a such a colossal thing even when done to an animal. The moment when the fatal injection was given to our previous beloved cat ( who had kidney failure and was no longer eating or drinking albeit we had put off the inevitable end for a week to see if a miraculous recovery might occur!) will always be seared into my memory!
Dusty
Would that be your assistant cat Dusty? I nearly asked about him recently as you hadn’t mentioned him lately.
No the assistant is still going strong, TT. You may recall he was a stray. He is not microchipped and we have virtually given up on finding who the previous owner was. My guess now is that he was dumped in our area!! He had been wandering around the area for a while before us mugginses allowed him in. I may feature him in a photo again soon. We don't know his exact age of course but would guess at 3 or 4. He moved in at virtually the same time as I started this substack hence me thinking of him as my assistant sent to me by the God of the Terfs 😂
If I am getting annoyed with the gender borg he looks at me with his big soulful eyes as if saying 'Chill, Dusty'
Dusty
😄 that’s good. We’ve just had to put down our beautiful German Shepherd. She suddenly went downhill and started having fits on the day of the German embassy protest. The vet suspected a brain tumour and we didn’t want her to suffer by having tests done. I’ve had loads of pets and it’s heartbreaking every time.