Many concerns on assisted suicide

Passenger pressures at airports

MARIANNE Taylor presents a good case in support of changing the law with regard to assisted suicide (“Sad case highlights need to look again at assisted suicide”, The Herald, September 11) and it is understandable given the tragic case of her mother’s friend.

She mentions three main arguments in favour of assisted suicide:the compassion argument, the autonomy argument (doesn’t every patient have a right to choose when to die?) and the public policy argument (proponents believe that the Government can safely legislate on euthanasia).

However, she fails to discuss why successive Scottish governments have rejected a change in the law. Several organisations, including the British Medical Association and the all-party Parliamentary Group on Dying Well, have serious reservations about allowing assisted suicide, with good reason.

Alternative treatments are available, and Britain leads the way in palliative care. Nearly all symptoms, including pain, can be relieved, and this approach can be carried out in the patient’s home. There is also the danger of a “slippery slope” situation from giving doctors the right to decide whose life is not worth living.

Giving patients a “right to die” could easily become a “duty to die” for many patients, for example depressed elderly people and other vulnerable groups such as the severely disabled. Why not treat the depression and restore a better quality of life? And disabled people’s lives are just as valuable as those of the able bodied.

Apparently most Scots support a change in the law. I’d be interested to know how many of those polled have known a relative or friend who has failed to obtain appropriate palliative care and how many have experience of delivering it. The sample selected can profoundly affect the outcome or, dare I say it, the desired result.

William Campbell,

59 Woodhead Avenue, Kirkintilloch.

I WAS interested to read about the proposed new direct air route from Edinburgh to Washington (“Edinburgh will start flights to Washington”, The Herald, September 13).

Having just returned from a trip to Chicago via Edinburgh Airport, I wonder if chief executive Gordon Dewar and his executive team have any plans to bring their security arrangements into the

21st century.

On reaching security we were herded like cattle, being buffeted and pushed by other passengers, until we reached the lined-off area.

During this time it was claustrophobic and uncomfortable. Goodness knows what would have happened if a fellow travellers had fallen over.

There were a number of American visitors within earshot who commented that they had not experienced anything like it at a major airport.

When we eventually arrived at the conveyor belt and scanners, we were met by staff who seemed to have missed the customer care training day.

To describe them as surly at best would, I believe, be complimentary.

In contrast, our return flight arrangements at O’Hare airport in Chicago were a delight.

My son dropped us off directly in front of the departure hall (and didn’t have to pay for the privilege).

Security was prompt, friendly and efficient.

Edinburgh Airport would do well to have a look at O’Hare for some pointers on the customer experience.

While it is welcome to have more direct destinations from Scottish airports, surely it should be incumbent on airport management to ensure that they have the facilities to handle the increased traffic before they start bidding for additional routes.

Jim Leslie, 72 Sutherland Way, Eas Kilbride.