On assisted dying and Noooo Bishops!

[skull_bearer]

So I saw the documentary with Pterry on assisted dying and it was really sad and heartbreaking and sort of obscene when they showed that guy's last moments (it finally happened, someone died on television. It is a sad day for humanity), and then there was a discussion on Newsnight. I'm not sure they achieved more than hot air there. The two most vocal on the anti-side was a spoksperson for disabled rights (who came across as being a bit of a broken record and not really taking into account the answers she was getting but she was making important points) and the random Bishop who seems to have become a fixture in these sorts of things and was being generally against the idea in a woolly sort of 'I'm totally not being religious really!' sort of way. He was completely useless and I wish they'd just booted him off and and replaced him with, say, someone who runs hospices and can push that side of the story instead of the 'ho-hum, gods says it's wrong' moron angle.

There was a third person on their side, a woman who I think was on the legal side of things but she didn't say much which was a damn shame. The pro-spokespersons were eloquent and making good points all round, and while no one's minds got changed I think it was a good showing for the pro-side. I'm still firmly on the side who believes that people shouls be allowed to take responsibility for their lives, including the ending of, but the disabled campaigner, while ranty, did push for the importance of firm regulation (although I wish she'd changed her spiel after the lady from Dignitas pulled out their list of rules) and I am kind of on board with that.

But seriously, ban the bishop next time. He was a waste of space and this is supposed to be a secular society.

And it had Jeremy Paxman. Seriously, who doesn't love Paxman?