The terminally ill deserve a right to die with dignity
I normally like reading Peter Hitchens, but his column last week suggesting those in favour of assisted dying are really planning to introduce mass euthanasia typified the view that humans must be kept alive to their last breath, despite the pain and indignities they are suffering.
I wish Mr Hitchens could have seen my wife as, dying slowly and painfully, she begged to be taken to Dignitas in Switzerland. People should be entitled to choose.
Neil Clough, Salisbury
Both abortion and euthanasia are, of course, a minefield of moral and ethical concerns, but just as I respect a woman’s control over her body, I must also champion the right for mentally fit individuals to choose their moment to leave this world. Having reached the milestone of 70, I really do see life differently. Ending a life that is more torturous than stimulating should be sacred to the individual.
Steve Forshaw, Kettering
I sat with three people dying and in excruciating pain with cancer, and I sat with my father who had motor neurone disease wishing the end would come quicker. These people deserve a get-out clause if they’ve had enough, and that’s where clinics such as Dignitas come into their own.
Despite what some people think, they do not let people simply fly into Zurich, knock on their door and ask to die.
Alexa Millward, Holywell
I don’t agree with assisted dying. You only have to look at countries that allow it to see how it is abused, especially in the case of people with mental illnesses.
C. Kinsella, Essex
It’s dehumanising that we engage in all these philosophical debates that don’t have an impact on us and ignore the voices of people who are central to the issue. If someone is suffering, it’s wrong to force them to endure the pain because of our moral beliefs.
Nathan Wright, Chelmsford
I’m tired of people trying to impose their religious views on others. Allow people the possibility of assisted dying. I would be reassured if that option was available, even if I never had to use it.
Thomas West, Stockport
Assisted dying is not something that we should be seriously considering. I can understand that some feel it’s preferable to a long, drawn-out death, but we all know it wouldn’t stop there. How long until healthcare professionals start whipping out a form that patients can sign to approve their death? Only God decides when we enter this world and only God must decide when we leave it.
Carlos Lewis, Wells, Somerset