THANK you for your coverage of the assisted dying debate. There was one comment from Care not Killing which needs to be challenged. Campaigners are not trying to change the law “to accommodate the wishes of a small number of desperate and determined people”. It should change to accommodate the wishes of over 80% of the population.
READ MORE: Assisted dying: Ex-nurse fights for change as she faces her own death
This is something that most people want to see happen. Those in favour of the change want to know that people who do find themselves suffering intolerably will be able to choose when and where to get help to end that suffering.
READ MORE: Assisted dying debate: 'My husband begged me to help him die'
We expect to have choice in most areas of our life, so why should its ending be any different? To those opposed to assisted dying, I say that you are entitled to refuse the option for yourself, but not to prevent the rest of us from accessing it. With appropriate checks in place to protect against coercion, a change in the law would prove that we really are a civilised society. Excellent palliative care, with assisted dying as an option when that becomes ineffective or undesirable, is the least we should be able to expect at the end of our lives.
Moira Symons
Broughty Ferry, Dundee
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