I welcome MSP Margo MacDonald's bill aiming to give terminally ill people the right to assisted suicide

BBC News carries a report on this, in which it says, "A bill aiming to give terminally ill people the right to die has been published at the Scottish Parliament. MSP Margo MacDonald, who has Parkinson's disease, brought the bill to make it legal for someone to seek help to end their life. It is not illegal to attempt suicide in Scotland - but helping someone take their own life is against the law."

Many people oppose the aim of this bill, partly because they fear that vulnerable people might be bullied/persuaded into ending their lives to please someone else, but a series of safeguards are proposed, to prevent abuse of the legislation, should it become law. I believe that when life has become intolerably painful and/or in other ways too burdensome to continue to bear, then provision such as is intended by this bill, would be a kindness to suffering individuals and not a threat to society.

NHS in the rôle of the Grim Reaper

The Telegraph reports that doctors who are experts in terminal care have misgivings about the frequency with which terminal sedation is being used to bring to an end the lives of many elderly patients.