Debate over right-to-die law
Controversial law debated in British House of
Lords and elsewhere. Not Congress.
A controversial bill to allow doctors to help terminally ill patients end their lives was condemned in the House of Lords on Friday as “morally indefensible.”
The assisted dying bill would let doctors prescribe, but not administer, lethal drugs to patients who are suffering unbearably and have less than six months to live.
Opponents, including religious leaders and sections of the medical profession, say its provisions could be open to abuse.
A poll on Friday for Dignity in Dying showed three-quarters of people are in favor of a change in the law.
Of 1,770 respondents questioned by YouGov for the survey, 76 percent supported assisted dying as long as safeguards were in place.
I’ve asked the question of friends or strangers a number of times — “Do you think you should have the right to die? The right to choose a self-controlled means of death if you’re already terminally ill?”
The answer is uniform. Most folks feel they have that right. They feel they should be able to assist a loved one who’s made the same choice. It’s only when you get to the professionally religious or political, folks who make a career of making decisions for us, you run into serious conflict.
I wonder if we’ll ever witness this debate — in Congress?
Posted: Sat - May 13, 2006 at 05:31 AM