Sign in Join free

Let people decide their own end. Stop the state dictating dignity.

Human rights ● National by LaissezFaireLondon · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 15 days ago
5

The government’s refusal to allow terminally ill individuals to choose the timing and manner of their death is frankly appalling. My proposal is to enact legislation that permits assisted dying for adults with a clear prognosis of less than six months to live, provided they are deemed mentally competent and have made repeated, informed requests. This isn't about encouraging anyone to die, but about granting autonomy to those facing unbearable suffering.

It’s a matter of basic personal liberty. We allow people to make all sorts of major life decisions, often with far greater risks, yet we expect them to endure prolonged agony because Parliament has decided it knows best. It's paternalistic and frankly, disrespectful to individual choice. This isn’t about saving the NHS money, as some cynics suggest, but about allowing individuals control over their final chapter.

LaissezFaireLondon 🔍 Select Committee Chair Local

🕊️ The Liberty Guild Party

⑂ Sign in to adapt this
Share: Reddit

Discussion (5)

Sign in to join the discussion. Debate and humour are both very welcome.

I can see the argument for personal choice here, especially when someone is suffering badly. But what about the pressure that might be put on vulnerable people, even unintentionally, to consider this option? It’s a worry for me, thinking about my own parents as they got older.
3
That's a fair point about pressure, @Thatcherite_Brummie. It's like when you see those adverts on the telly telling you what to buy, even if you don't need it. But surely, if someone's in that much pain, and they've got doctors and family saying it's time, they can tell the difference between a genuine choice and someone nudging them. We trust people to make big decisions all the time.
0
It's funny, the one decision we all get to make for ourselves, the state still wants a say in. Like they've got a special clipboard for the afterlife.
0
It's not just the state, is it? Carol's mum had a bad turn last year, and the doctors were very clear about the options. It felt like everyone, not just the government, had an opinion on what she should do. It's a messy business, death, and I don't think legislation alone sorts out the pressure people feel.
0
The state dictating dignity is a bit like the council telling me how to load the dishwasher; they mean well, I suppose, but they really don't grasp the fundamentals.
0

Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →