Assisted Dying/Euthanasia and the inevitable mission creep.
One of my greatest fears is assisted dying/euthanasia because I fear that the disabled which includes physically and mentally will be coerced into taking part. I'm really frightened about that, that we would be seen as expendable, disposable, a "burden".
It's always on my mind and on top of the benefit worries, Reeves' budget and my personal situation it's just worry after worry.
Some of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met in my life are disabled and because they know what it's like day to day, the grind, the struggles but they still have that twinkle in their eyes.
I wholeheartedly sympathize with the offering of assisting the terminally ill in unimaginable pain to pass on but like Canada and Holland the inevitable "offering" of this to non-terminally ill people makes me shudder. I browsed the Telegraph via MSN and already up to 50 mp's want to broaden the scope and the legislation hasn't even been tabled.
It's a sensitive and uncomfortable subject and opinions will vary but I just feel in my gut that this is wrong. At rock bottom, whatever chance of recovery or to lead to semblance of a normal life the only way is up, you have to keep fighting because there isn't a reload point or a respawn, you have one shot at life and we have to clear the obstacles in our way, if we don't owe that to ourselves, then we owe it to our families and friends.
I don't want to be asked "Have you tried to commit suicide? Well we can offer it to you free on the NHS" and that "Right to die" activists will constantly protest that the scope should be broadened. I want to remain to be helped in order to live a relatively productive life but I see assisted dying as basically a cost cutting measure wrapped up with a compassionate bow.
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Hi @JasonRA, it's a really difficult subject and I can understand your worries about it. You won't be the only one that feels uneasy either, I've read a lot of things on social media from disabled people about how this might affect them in the future. I can understand both sides of the argument and it's a really emotive thing to get your head around.
I think if it comes into law there will need to be some very strong safeguards around to prevent any abuse of the system. Disability charities and organisations would not be standing back and letting anything like this creep into something sinister, there would be a huge amount of backlash should anything look like it was heading that way.
One thing that I've seen which is slightly more positive is that the topic of assisted dying is also bringing up conversations about how we can improve severely disabled and terminally ill people's lives so they are more comfortable and properly cared for. That's a really important conversation too, so while it's a tough thing to think about I'm glad it's getting people talking on other parts of the issue.
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Soylent Green (1973)
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having the neighbours round for tea gives a new meaning
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What you describe is exactly what will happen Jason. Not to mention, assisted dying is already happening in the UK. Deliberate neglect in fitness for work / disability benefits system assessments by the DWP serve the same purpose, not to mention all the covid deaths of learning disabled people with DNRs.
Until systemic ableism is addressed (including properly supporting disabled people to live fulfilling lives, including easy access to housing, lower cost of living and raised benefits), assisted dying must remain illegal. Otherwise, it'll lead to eugenics.
It'll suck for the minority of terminally ill people advocating for it, but it'll suck even more for the tens of thousands of disabled, sick, poor and/or homeless people who will get coerced into ending their lives early because capitalist governments don't want to support people who can't contribute.
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I remembered the ending of this movie in the context of the topic under discussion.
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If offered to me, I'll take up the offer.
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I don't think this would be forced on any disabled person if this were made law. Otherwise it would be a repeat of Aktion T4. There would be very strict criteria if this were brought in.
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There is no country anywhere in the world where assisted suicide has been legalised where the scope of it has not subsequently been increased. Not one.
Even here in the UK, more than 50 MPs are lobbying for this bill to also include people struggling with mental illness, not simply the terminally ill.
In the Netherlands, the law has been updated to increase its scope multiple times. The result is that more than 138 people to date have been euthanised on the grounds of “psychological suffering”.
When people with disabilities have already endured sustained attacks to their welfare under the last government, at a time when the NHS is on its knees, and disability welfare claims demonised in the press, even if there were a case to be made for legalising assisted suicide/euthanasia, now would be the worst possible time.
Just look at how it’s worked in practise in Canada with MAiD:
This sort of legislation only ever goes in one direction once introduced.
It’s a ratchet effect.
The scope grows and grows and grows.
Now it extends in the Netherlands also to young children.
No, the answer is not assisted suicide or euthanasia. It’s better rights and welfare for people with disabilities in the UK, better palliative care, more and better-funded hospices, and better healthcare provision more broadly.
There’s not one disability rights group anywhere in the UK campaigning for assisted suicide/euthanasia, and that’s not a coincidence.
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