BBC love for “mercy killings” continues this morning with the headline story that Sir Terry Pratchett is willing to test the idea that assisted suicide “tribunals” which could give people legal permission to end their lives.
The author, who has Alzheimer’s, says he wants a tribunal set up to help those with incurable diseases end their lives with help from doctors.
They love death like we love life….
A non-BBC view:
“Assisted suicide is not about consumer choice”
(George Pitcher)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/georgepitcher/7125256/Assisted-suicide-is-not-about-consumer-choice.html
This is a topic for concern but this particular hoo-hah is not news. It’s a BBC-created, BBC-centric publicity grab concerning the BBC’s upcoming Dimbleby Lecture by Terry Pratchett. It’s all about the BBC and the BBC creating rather than just being content to report news “impartially”.
Yeah I found this odd. Could have led with yougov findings, but why do that when you’ve got Pratchett?
Good author and all, but honestly his opinions are not particularly relevant.
Terry Pratchet can decide how he lives his own life (or not) but he can keep his nose out of mine. If he wants changes in the law then he can stand for election and fight his corner for those who would vote for him. This is how democracy works. It is upto parliament (or it should be) to pass laws not pressure groups.
“Terry Pratchet can decide how he lives his own life (or not) but he can keep his nose out of mine.”
Trouble is, the original post by David Vance seeks to comment on everyone else’s and suggests that any opinion apart from his own is invalid. Whereas just reading an excerpt of Terry Pratchett’s speech shows, quite plainly, he’s delivering a speech on his opinion that does not preclude the existence of dissenting views. It’s inviting debate, rather than wishing to shut debate down.
Well done on the BBC for keeping debate alive: bad show on would-be politicians who think it’s their job to do nothing but denigrate.
Does anyone know if the BBC have reported the Islamic view on assisted suicide ?