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Sturgeon blow to assisted suicide law

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Published Date: 03 November 2008
NICOLA Sturgeon, the health secretary, said yesterday she was "not persuaded" that assisted suicide legal should be made legal, after independent MSP Margo MacDonald said she hoped to bring legislation on the subject before Holyrood next year.
Ms Sturgeon said that she was not sure safeguards could be put in place to prevent the system from being abused.

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  • Last Updated: 02 November 2008 10:35 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Euthanasia
 
1

Finlang,

Switzerland 03/11/2008 00:37:44
Premature call, Nicola. Politicians are in a stew over this and you, like others, will not jeopardise your party's electoral chances by committing with a straight yes or no. Deep discussion is needed on this subject. A comprehensive poll of the populace is required to gauge the people's mood. This is too big an issue for mere politicians to duck and squirm around in order to save face.
2

,

03/11/2008 01:17:38
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

chippie lover,

last legs 03/11/2008 01:29:58
Seems to be a misguided sense of morality that society is prepared to put animals down to ease their suffering but we will not do the same to humans who are suffering a very slow painful death....
4

John Cameron,

St Andrews 03/11/2008 07:09:26
Well, what else did we expect. Scottish politicians find it easy to take radical decisions on irrelevances (c.f. fox hunting) but buckle immediately if the topic is important.
5

Urban Guerrilla,

Edinburgh 03/11/2008 07:43:44
#5, spot on. I'm disappointed at this feeble response from Nicola Sturgeon.
6

yockel,

03/11/2008 07:46:42
#5 come on John give them their due, the Socialist National Party are prepared to ban the public display of quality cigars and render it intolerably inconvenient to purchase quality wine within Scotland from Scottish traders.
7

Dave,

Western Isles 03/11/2008 07:47:28
Hmmm. Abortion seems to be ok politically and there isn't much difference between euthanasia and abortion except being at differing ends of the life spectrum and one is with consent the the other isn't.

All very odd. It's time we:

Legalised euthanasia
Legalised prostitution
Legalised cannabis (or at least decriminalise it like Amsterdam)
8

Miss H,

03/11/2008 10:28:39
The Herald quotes what Nicola Sturgeon said in full:

'I'm not persuaded as yet of the argument for moving towards that position, I'm not convinced we could put in place sufficient safeguards."

However she added: "I do applaud Margo MacDonald for taking on this debate, it's a difficult, emotive debate and I'll certainly follow it with great interest."

Saying she is not persuaded as yet because she is not convinced that sufficient safeguards can be put in place is not actually the same thing as is presented in the Scotsman story.

9

yolanda,

03/11/2008 10:45:16
The fact that she said she was not persuaded as yet suggests that she is open to hearing the argument from all sides, which isn't the same as condemning it. Seems sensible to me. It's not a subject to be treated lightly.
10

Number 6,

Germany 03/11/2008 11:02:02
#4 You highlight the perversity of the Medical Profession playing God. How dare they decide that some-one can't end their own life when on many occasions they deprive those who want to fight on of the drugs they need, because of the expense.
11

The Federalist (the poster formerly know as NAUON),

03/11/2008 11:27:44
These sorts of issues have always been considered issues of conscience - and they should remain so.

By the way - those who are trying to paint this as purely religious opposition are barking up the wrong tree. I wouldn't class myself as particularly religious but have serious ethical problems with the euthanasia issue.
12

brusque,

03/11/2008 12:13:52
She said "I'm not persuaded", and she was talking about the means of protecting people from any kind of abuse if legislation were passed.

Is there an inherent lack of understanding of the English language on this forum?

It certainly seems that many can't make reasonable comment unless the Unionist Scotsman tells them exactly what to say!!

I fear for Scotland if that is the kind of thinking [or lack of] that we are breeding.
13

La5t_minit,

03/11/2008 14:01:46
The only reason Politicians are opposed is because most of them would be doomed to early retirement by lethal injection. Being terminally dumb seams to be a pre requisite to becoming a politition
14

qohldr,

03/11/2008 14:15:06
The problem I have when issues like this are being discussed by MPs/MSPs in either parliament is when they make statements like, I am not persuaded or I could not in all conscience or My religion would not allow me.
These people are sent to these parliaments to represent their constituents not themselves.
In certain cases they should be going back to their constituents to find out how they want them to vote.
This issue is one of those cases.
15

Miss H,

03/11/2008 14:40:32
I would imagine it would be an issue of conscience. We will need to see the details of what is in Margo’s bill. I personally feel that it is wrong to criminalise someone who helps a partner or family member take their own life if that is what the person wants. Equally I think it would be horrific if elderly or disabled people were put under pressure to end their lives. That seems to be what Nicola Sturgeon is worried about as well. If effective safeguards can be built in that would be another matter but I am not sure how that could happen.

17 It's comments like that which freak people out a bit. Terminally injecting the dumb.

18 You may scoff at politicians referring to their conscience or their beliefs but in fact they are personally responsible for the decisions they take so it is right that difficult issues like this are taken personally. If constituents don't like what they do they can vote them out.
16

Alberto.,

03/11/2008 15:38:35
What a strange situation, whereby a person cannot 'assist' in the suicide of a loved one, who is probably suffering immensely, and where the situation has probably been discussed at great length before reaching the 'final decision, yet without knowing whether or not, they will be criminalised for such involvement!

Obviously a difficult situation and needs much ‘legal’ discussion and possibly some ‘real’ legislation to be applied, and any case to be discussed together with all parties - beforehand!

Yet, surprisingly, the current 'slightly crazy Justice system' is not only able to 'confirm' to ‘the usual run of criminal offenders’ (murderers, muggers, and some who do really serious harm, sometimes just for kicks,(you know the ordinary ‘run of the mill’ - etc.) who commit their crimes with 'real' criminal intent, but can be assured they will know their ‘fate’ - if any prison / criminal penalty at all is imposed, (which on many occasions isn’t, if only due to Political ‘bloops’), as to the maximum and minimum time to be served - with even a reduction to the term for simply admitting their guilt!!

Is a ‘BOGOFF’ approach to the Law and penalizing, looming in the Courts - to ease the ‘Political’ Prison population problem - I wonder?

As we have seen in the last couple of weeks, where a young woman was kicked to death simply because of how she was dressed - as a Goth, (no doubt the kicking was one of the ‘Just For Fun’ pastimes) - yet the offender of this ‘horrendous’ crime was able to negotiate and obtain with / from the Justice system, for a reduction in the Punishment awarded, as it was felt to be too harsh!
Oh! Dearie! Dearie! Me - what a shame , nevermind!

So does it follow that if ‘Assisted Suicide’ is to be criminalized, the simple answer for the ‘sufferer’, is to get suitably medicated for ‘the frightening occasion’ and simply goad someone (no doubt there will be a wide choice for participants, suitably intoxicated (normal for them!) - or not, tha
17

Alberto.,

03/11/2008 15:44:06
#20 Cont'd.........
So does it follow that if ‘Assisted Suicide’ is to be criminalized, the simple answer for the ‘sufferer’, is to get suitably medicated for ‘the frightening occasion’ and simply goad someone (no doubt there will be a wide choice for participants, suitably intoxicated (normal for them!) - or not, that a few quid on offer would soon find them some ‘employment’ pastime they lack in their daily life - and possibly not getting accused of any criminal offence as a ‘financial’ arrangement had been made!

Who knows, these days! There soon could be ‘Postcards’ in the Post Offices windows for those wishing to participate, although we seem to be running somewhat short in the Post Office commodity - yet we are assured it’s for the best!

Funny old Country ain’t it?

18

Arfur,

03/11/2008 17:03:17
terrible 'reporting' as usual.

"not persuaded," - yep, massive blow.
19

Pleistoanax ,

03/11/2008 17:04:01
Nicola Sturgeon realises for a Nationalist political party to advocate Euthanasia on their own citizens.

Would lead to comparisions with the Nazi party

http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/euthan/


"At the 1929 party rally, Hitler had suggested that countless lives could be eliminated by racial measures:"


“If Germany was to get a million children a year and was to remove 700-800,000 of the weakest people, then the final result might even be an increase in strength. The most dangerous thing is for us to cut off the natural process of selection and thereby rob ourselves of the possibility of acquiring able people. The first born are not always the most talented or strongest people… As a result of our modern humanitarianism we are trying to maintain the weak at the expense of the healthy.”
20

Miss H,

03/11/2008 18:44:45
23 Time for your medication I think.
21

Pleistoanax ,

03/11/2008 20:08:44
#24

well that means I got it right.
22

The_Reiver,

03/11/2008 21:21:29
Typical SNP backward thinking. Do I detect the influence (fear) of a man who wears a dinky little red skull-cap?
23

Finlang,

Switzerland 03/11/2008 22:31:51
#11 Hen Broon
"... Which part of "not persuaded," do you not understand?"

Probably the same bit that people of common sense and normal intelligence either understand or, as you will have it, "do not understand." The "Which part ..." cråp is a cheap insult device boringly employed on these boards by posters like you whose grasp of argument is skewed by partisan tunnel vision.
24

,

04/11/2008 01:06:33
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
25

Starkravingsane,

Edinburgh 04/11/2008 10:21:17
Why does Nicola's opinion count for more than Margo's?
Referendum! Referendum! Let the people decide.

 

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