Report to the People
13th September 2004
We’re not Going Dutch
Isn’t
it typical?
There
I was, having just opened the first ever member’s debate in the Scottish
Parliament, and the microphones break down.
Sadly,
if unsurprisingly, the technical difficulties overshadowed the substance of the
debate – the unacceptably high Scottish suicide rate. As
I reminded my colleagues, it’s the biggest
killer of our young men.
But
my rudely interrupted debate is not the only reason this difficult issue has
been in the news.
With
what could be regarded as slightly insensitive timing, the Voluntary Euthanasia
Society chose the middle of International Suicide Prevention Week to publish a
poll claiming that four out of ten Scots would break the law to help a loved one
die.
Given
that this is based on a sample of only 790 people across the UK (which means
you’d expect about 65 of them to be from Scotland), I’m not sure how
representative these findings will be. And
I wonder how many terminally ill people were asked if they wanted to grant their
relatives a licence to kill?
Thankfully,
the Scottish Executive rejects following places like Holland in legalising
euthanasia. We’re not “going
Dutch.”
It
must be horrible to watch someone you love, someone with whom you have shared
your life, waste away. And I can
understand that death might sometimes seem like a kindness.
But
it sets a dangerous precedent. You
might be blessed with a family which has your best interests at heart, but not
everyone is so lucky.
Back to Current Reports to the People
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Report to the People ] [ Interact ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ Directgov ] [ Scottish Parliament ]