Saturday, May 31, 2014

Not Dead Yet - UK launches petition against British assisted suicide bill.



Sign the petition opposing the legalization of assisted suicide in Britain.

Not Dead Yet UK (NDYUK) is a campaigning group of disabled people who believe that it would be a mistake to legalise Assisted Dying. Lord Falconer’s bill in the UK aims to make it legal for doctors to end the lives of those they judge to be terminally ill, if the dying individual requests this intervention. This issue affects everyone, but our experience as disabled people, informs our belief that the assisted suicide law should not be changed.

NDYUK opposes assisted suicide because:

● It would be unacceptably dangerous to make it legal for one individual to end the life of another, because statutory safeguards cannot be made effective;

● People can be led to perceive themselves as a burden, especially when support services are cut, and this may contribute to their decision making;

● We believe that a positive approach to the lives of disabled people, old and young, should be a priority for society;
● This means appropriate support for living and an accessible environment;
● Disabled people are being hit harder than many by the recession, which gives us the clear message that our rights and opportunities are low priority when times get hard. ‘Assisted Dying’ is often linked with the cost of disability, particularly Social Care and Continuing Health Care, which are becoming increasingly unavailable. We find this a legitimate and relevant cause for concern;
● In a recent poll by the Royal College of GPs, 77% voted against legalising assisted suicide and many doctors acknowledge that it is very difficult to accurately predict when someone will die and they often get this wrong.


Baroness Jane Campbell
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope you find it thought provoking. If you require more information please go to our website. This is an issue that affects everyone not just disabled people. Of course, we all hope for an easy death, but ‘Assisted Dying’ is no guarantee of that as the process can be painful and protracted and has been known to fail completely for some individuals.



Sign the petition opposing the legalization of assisted suicide in Britain.
Letter to:
David Cameron, British Prime Minister

We ask you to encourage all parliamentarians to oppose a change in the legislation on Assisted Dying in order to protect disabled and vulnerable people.
Sincerely, 
[Your name]

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