Caring about the value of life

Donald J Morrison (Letters, March 17) accuses the Scottish Government of having no value for human life in even daring to debate assisted dying - not ‘euthanasia’ as he claims it to be.

In fact, those of us who support assisted dying could not care more for the value of human life. The big difference is we recognise that life only has value so long as there is quality of life and once that quality is gone, then to force someone to live on in unbearable suffering, when palliative care has reached its limits - as can happen - is unspeakably cruel.

Mr Morrison claims assisted dying would give doctors ‘the opportunity to play God’. Medical science continually ‘plays God’ and has done since our earliest ancestors discovered what herbs could help ailments.

Indeed, it is precisely because of medical science ‘playing God’ that today we have very low infant mortality and live long lives in relatively good health. And, of course, without medical science ‘playing God’ palliative care would not exist. I don’t know where Mr Morrison gets his ideas about doctors refraining ‘from giving the patient food and water until that person dies', because that is not how assisted dying works and if it did entail anything so cruel, neither I nor many other proponents would be in favour of it.

The fact Mr Morrison made that comment proves how ill-informed he is on the subject.

L J Thomson.