The passing of Bill-12 through the Second Reading in the British House of Commons, surprised many of the opponents of Assisted Suicide [AS] (This is the Leadbeater Bill which aims to legalize AS in England & Wales.)
Many believed we could stop the Bill at this early stage, but that was not meant to be. The Bill can be blocked later, but now everyone is frightened because the chance of it becoming law has increased. That said, the shock to this vote seems out of proportion to it’s current progression through parliament. Other jurisdictions fully legislated AS/VE (voluntary euthanasia) without such hand-wringing.
So, why this response? Why here? Why now??
The Moral Compass
I believe the reason is because Great Britain still holds an important position in the world.
Think of British achievements:
Fundamentals of justice, including Habeus Corpus;
Opposition to Capital Punishment;
Fought on the high seas to end slavery;
Continued to resist Hitler in England’s darkest hour.
Not only did Great Britain have the moral courage to recognise these issues, but it had the fortitude to oppose them…at all cost! Despite some politicians doing their worst, Britain is still a moral compass for the world.
Dignity in Dying—and the shadowy forces behind them—are very, very aware that Great Britain is pivotal to their cause. That is why they are throwing vast resources at the UK. A recent example is the full-size ads they pasted all over Westminster Underground to promote Assisted Suicide.
One of the ads in the Underground at Westminster.
Our Dystopia
The dystopian ad above is of a woman known to suffer from cancer. The ad shows her happily dancing around her kitchen in fancy PJ’s…apparently celebrating her possible suicide? She could be selling deodorant or toothpaste, but instead she is peddling death.
Kim Leadbeater made the egregious argument that it is coercion when a family tries to persuade their relative NOT to commit suicide!
Click image to link to video on X
Remember that if her Bill becomes law, and persuading a family member against AS is indeed considered to be “coercion”, family members will be guilty of a crime. W.T.F.
Now there is a dystopian reversal from 2020 COVID restrictions. We shut down the entire western world “to save Granny” but now we must “…give Granny assisted suicide so she can kill herself.”
Click image to link to video on X
Churchill
After Dunkirk, England faced the real possibility of invasion.
Winston Churchill exhorted parliament and the country:
“I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.”
We too must continue to defend “our island home”—be that England, Ireland or Canada—to outlive this menace of tyranny!
The Leadbeater Bill
Many countries have become morally incapacitated from an onslaught of Post-Modernism, Identity Politics and the incessant push for “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” [D.E.I.] etc. Countries have lost their heading, causing inequality, reverse discrimination and social disharmony.
Churchill roused Britain to fight for what he knew was right:
“We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
The Fall of Britain?
Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia legislation is pending throughout the British Isles, including Scotland, Ireland, Mann & Jersey…never mind other proposals throughout the developed world. Dignity in Dying is betting that if Britain falls, everywhere else will fall.
It is possible we could see the end of “Great Britain” as we know it, if England & Wales starts to kill their own citizens.
Perhaps. But Winston did not see the subjugation of Britain as ‘the End’!
“And even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the Old.”
Human Morality.
Too often I forget that the issue is very, very simple: Killing is wrong.
(The provision of the means to commit suicide is “aiding and abetting” a person to kill themselves, so equally wrong!)
I say this in both the religious sense of “Thou Shalt not Kill” and in the societal/secular sense that a stable society must not kill their own citizens. Canada has proven that the provision of Medical Assistance in Dying leads to the direct abuse of the vulnerable. To eugenics. To tyranny against the weakest in society. Bottom line — we must provide expert palliative care 24/7/365 to properly comfort the dying, but assisted suicide is a simple issue of right & wrong.
Yes: the vote was a set back, but the fight is far from over!
Kevin Hay