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Pratchett Calls For Assisted Suicide Law
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Book News
 01 Feb 2010, 14:15 #81073 Reply To Post
Author appeals for assisted suicide law

3 hours 41 mins ago
ITN



Author Sir Terry Pratchett is calling for assisted suicide to be legalised as two polls reveal most people back the move.

* Author backs assisted suicide law Play video
* Author appeals for assisted suicide law

Related content

* Video: Author backs assisted suicide law

The writer, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, will give the Richard Dimbleby Lecture and will say that a "tribunal" should be set up to give seriously ill people permission to get help to die.

He will offer himself as a test case for such a body, which would include a legal expert in family affairs and a doctor with experience in dealing with serious, long-term illness.

A YouGov poll found that 75 per cent of the 2,053 people questioned wanted the law changed to allow assisted suicide, which is currently a crime. View complete article
histrionicdowns
 02 Feb 2010, 15:03 #81143 Reply To Post
I saw the lecture on BBC yesterday. It was an erudite and convincing talk, given by Tony Robinson, a friend of Terry's, because Terry finds it difficult to read type now, due to his illness.

One thing I felt worth mentioning here is that he stressed in his introduction that he is not calling for Assisted Suicide. Rather, he is calling for Assisted Death, which he quite rightly states is very different.

Its worth watching on BBC iPlayer if you missed it.
sulcus
 02 Feb 2010, 16:19 #81147 Reply To Post
Quote: histrionicdowns, Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010 15:03
I saw the lecture on BBC yesterday. It was an erudite and convincing talk, given by Tony Robinson, a friend of Terry's, because Terry finds it difficult to read type now, due to his illness.

One thing I felt worth mentioning here is that he stressed in his introduction that he is not calling for Assisted Suicide. Rather, he is calling for Assisted Death, which he quite rightly states is very different.

Its worth watching on BBC iPlayer if you missed it.


I understand the emotional need to change assisted suicide into assisted death, but if you are talking about the consent of the person, then it is still assisted suicide whatever way you regard it, merely by a third hand. I have discussed the whole lecture on my blog as it throws up some very big issues we might consider as writers.
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Nestat
 03 Feb 2010, 23:04 #81246 Reply To Post
Quote: sulcus, Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010 16:19
it is still assisted suicide whatever way you regard it, merely by a third hand.


Apart from the negative connotations of suicide, I think he was calling for the distinction to recognise that people can effectively die long before their bodies do.

Writing for yourself is writing for others: "My book could very well end up being reconstituted as a trestle table in a home for battered women." - Alan Partridge
Miller
 05 Feb 2010, 20:13 #81341 Reply To Post
Quote: Nestat, Wednesday, 3 Feb 2010 23:04
Quote: sulcus, Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010 16:19
it is still assisted suicide whatever way you regard it, merely by a third hand.


Apart from the negative connotations of suicide, I think he was calling for the distinction to recognise that people can effectively die long before their bodies do.



Quite. It's all in the timing.



AntCity
 07 Feb 2010, 00:43 #81428 Reply To Post
Quote: Miller, Friday, 5 Feb 2010 20:13
Quote: Nestat, Wednesday, 3 Feb 2010 23:04
Quote: sulcus, Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010 16:19
it is still assisted suicide whatever way you regard it, merely by a third hand.


Apart from the negative connotations of suicide, I think he was calling for the distinction to recognise that people can effectively die long before their bodies do.



Quite. It's all in the timing.





I thought that was comedy?

AntCity
 07 Feb 2010, 00:48 #81429 Reply To Post
It is the time of the French revolution. An Englishman, a Scot and an Irishman are about to be guillotined for helping aristocrats to escape.

The Englishman lies his head in the groove and the blade is released and thunders down towards the exposed neck, only to grind to a halt an inch above the skin.
This post was last edited by AntCity, 07 Feb 2010, 00:52
AntCity
 07 Feb 2010, 00:49 #81430 Reply To Post
The Revolutionary Judge allows the law of double jeopardy to apply and the Englishman is released and allowed to go free.
AntCity
 07 Feb 2010, 00:52 #81431 Reply To Post
The blade of the guillotine is pulled back up and the Scot places his neck in the groove. The blade is released and thunders down towards the exposed neck but stops short, an inch above the exposed skin.
AntCity
 07 Feb 2010, 00:54 #81432 Reply To Post
The French judge again allows the law of double jeopardy to apply and the Scot is released and allowed to go free.
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