A very telling bill has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament to legalize assisted suicide. Notably, it is not restricted to the terminally ill—but allows people who can’t live independently to receive poison pills. Also, the age limit is only 16. From the End of Life Assistance Bill (no link):
Eligibility requirements (1) A person may make a formal request for end of life assistance under this Act only if the person
(a) is 16 years of age or over at the time of making the first formal request;
(b) has been registered with a medical practice in Scotland for a continuous period of at least 18 months immediately prior to making that request; and
(c) satisfies the requirements of subsection (2).(2) The requirements of this subsection are that the requesting person
(a) has been diagnosed as terminally ill and finds life intolerable; or
(b) is permanently physically incapacitated to such an extent as not to be able to live independently and finds life intolerable.
Imagine the potential for abuse, coercion, and abandonment.
Anyone who says the assisted suicide agenda is merely a “limited safety valve” when nothing else can be done to alleviate suffering is really not paying attention.
Update : The bill also authorizes active euthanasia, and the killer need not be a doctor. More details over at Secondhand Smoke .
