Terry Pratchet film

[MrGongGong]

Anyone watch this ?

views ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Afraid I chickened out, already being on-side with Pratchet on this issue; but I watched the studio discussion which followed, and which showed the moment when the man took the drink. The issue was discussed on CH5's The Wright Stuff this morning, and what followed from the description given was reassuring in terms of a dignified death.

S-A

[teamsaint]

didn't watch it. Would hope the BBC show something to "balance " it though, as they said the show was put on to help people make up their minds.

I general, I am very dubious about allowing people to be killed, even if it is their own "choice". Lots of vulnerable folks out there.......

[Serial_Apologist]

didn't watch it. Would hope the BBC show something to "balance " it though, as they said the show was put on to help people make up their minds.

I general, I am very dubious about allowing people to be killed, even if it is their own "choice". Lots of vulnerable folks out there.......

It might be an idea to watch it if it is repeated, TS - from what I gather the "fatal dose" must be administered by the person who intends ending their own life.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I found it very moving. It's a difficult issue, but I too side with TP.

[Mary Chambers]

I chickened out as well, but I just may find the courage to watch on i-Player. I know where I stand on this - passionately pro voluntary euthanasia. No-one should have to endure some of the vile incurable diseases that can afflict us.

[teamsaint]

It might be an idea to watch it if it is repeated, TS - from what I gather the "fatal dose" must be administered by the person who intends ending their own life.

might be an idea, but it probably won't change my mind. having seen people in vulnerable situations, and with difficult degenerative conditions, I feel strongly that there is too great a risk, too often, of exploitation.
its a really difficult issue in some ways, and certainty about this issue is a danger.
A better way forward would be to make sure that when we become vulnerable, we are really well looked after...but of course that costs money.......

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There are risks, but while we ponder these, many more people continue to suffer a miserable and degrading final few years. A Living Will might be a good solution.

[MrGongGong]

I watched this and although it was a profoundly sad and moving film
it completely missed out on why I would object to the legalisation of this in the UK
we simply are unable to protect the most vulnerable in our society as it is , let alone if this became an option
its all very well for educated and articulate people to reason their way to deciding to kill themselves BUT what was shocking was that many people who "choose" to die in this way are simply "tired of life" i.e depressed
I have no religious objections to people taking their own lives BUT at a time when the rights of the most vulnerable are under attack we need to err on the side of them
conflating this with people not being given pain relief in their final hours is more than a little disingenuous.

My son has a disability, its not life threatening and he is an articulate and interesting young man , as are many (and more than a few musicians !) with Aspergers , there are times when he has lucidly and with intent expressed the desire to kill himself, this is usually to do with some event that we later discover, he would never act on this BUT I could see a time (as was shown in this film ) where people like my son who were "tired of life" would get the "right" to a"dignified death" if this was to become legal in the UK, on balance we need to protect the most vulnerable EVEN IF this means denying rights to others. That's the deal of living in a society and not as a series of isolated individuals. For my son (and many of his school friends many of who can't speak, walk or eat without assistance) the idea that we should make this legal is a complete assault on their rights to have a fulfilling life, nothing to do with god , simple humanity. We are, as has been demonstrated recently in Bristol, more than a little unable to protect the most vulnerable in our society maybe for ONCE ? we should move over and allow then a little room ?

For the educated and articulate like Terry Pratchet (who I think is a rather wonderful and thoughtful human being) and the other people in this film, this is probably OK BUT normalising euthanasia would inevitably lead to abuse and more suffering for those who are the least able to speak for themselves ...........

[aeolium]

I am very much on Terry Pratchett's side in this debate. I was glad to see in the film the disabled taxi-driver who did not want to end his own life but also thought that those who did want to should be able to do so with some kind of dignity (and without having to go to Switzerland to do so). There are after all around 5500 suicides a year in Britain almost certainly far more unpleasant in every way than the death that was shown in that film, from hanging, shooting, jumping under trains etc.

I did feel that if anything should have been private it should have been the last minutes of Mr Smedley's life so that he could be with his wife, but according to TP he actually wanted the whole process to be filmed. It did seem strangely formal and polite, almost like a tea-ceremony (as TP remarked) and Mr Smedley was amazingly calm. I was a bit surprised that the Dignitas office seemed like a prefab office in the middle of an industrial estate.

[Serial_Apologist]

I watched this and although it was a profoundly sad and moving film
it completely missed out on why I would object to the legalisation of this in the UK
we simply are unable to protect the most vulnerable in our society as it is , let alone if this became an option
its all very well for educated and articulate people to reason their way to deciding to kill themselves BUT what was shocking was that many people who "choose" to die in this way are simply "tired of life" i.e depressed
I have no religious objections to people taking their own lives BUT at a time when the rights of the most vulnerable are under attack we need to err on the side of them
conflating this with people not being given pain relief in their final hours is more than a little disingenuous.

My son has a disability, its not life threatening and he is an articulate and interesting young man , as are many (and more than a few musicians !) with Aspergers , there are times when he has lucidly and with intent expressed the desire to kill himself, this is usually to do with some event that we later discover, he would never act on this BUT I could see a time (as was shown in this film ) where people like my son who were "tired of life" would get the "right" to a"dignified death" if this was to become legal in the UK, on balance we need to protect the most vulnerable EVEN IF this means denying rights to others. That's the deal of living in a society and not as a series of isolated individuals. For my son (and many of his school friends many of who can't speak, walk or eat without assistance) the idea that we should make this legal is a complete assault on their rights to have a fulfilling life, nothing to do with god , simple humanity. We are, as has been demonstrated recently in Bristol, more than a little unable to protect the most vulnerable in our society maybe for ONCE ? we should move over and allow then a little room ?

For the educated and articulate like Terry Pratchet (who I think is a rather wonderful and thoughtful human being) and the other people in this film, this is probably OK BUT normalising euthanasia would inevitably lead to abuse and more suffering for those who are the least able to speak for themselves ...........

I fully appreciate these points, but from the little I admit to knowing about this, is it not the case that in countries where voluntary euthanasia has been made legal, there has not been any evidence of the fears expressed that people have been coerced into it, as was predicted by those opposed?

S-A

[MrGongGong]

I fully appreciate these points, but from the little I admit to knowing about this, is it not the case that in countries where voluntary euthanasia has been made legal, there has not been any evidence of the fears expressed that people have been coerced into it, as was predicted by those opposed?

S-A

Coercion is one thing
BUT
the normalisation of this will take away the rights of many people

and do you really trust the state or society ?
look at what is happening to many people with disabilities at the moment, and this from a government headed by someone with a personal experience of these things ! so much for experience being a teacher but I guess its ok if you are rich !

you don't have to be coerced if you are suffering from depression