Very, very sad. A victory for religious ignorance and mindless cruelty,
and a reality check for those who think religion is dead in the UK or
anywhere else in Europe where it's a real uphill struggle to allow
people with terminal illness (or any painful, incurable condition) to
die with dignity. I wonder how many more Britons will spend their last
days in fear and agony so that these ruthless, unthinking, aristocratic
bastards can feel all moral and righteous. Over 76 percent of the
British public supports this bill, but the Lords decided to ignore the
will of the people and vote for torture.

"Lord Beaumont of Whitley, an Anglican vicar and the sole Green party
peer, said: "I hope I never have to contemplate suicide myself, but if
I do, I hope to be able to rely on my nearest and dearest to help me to
perform this legal but disagreeable action, without fear of
prosecution. What I desire for myself, I would not deny to others.""


Lords vote to block assisted suicide bill for terminally ill

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/lords/story/0,,1773948,00.html

=B7 Two-to-one majority delays second reading
=B7 Sponsor promises to reintroduce measure

Will Woodward, chief political correspondent
Saturday May 13, 2006
The Guardian

The House of Lords voted yesterday to block a bill which would permit
assisted suicide for the terminally ill after an impassioned debate
which brought out differences within political parties and religious
faiths.

The Lords voted 100 to 48 to delay the second reading of Lord Joffe's
bill for six months, effectively kicking it into the long grass. Lord
Joffe promised to reintroduce the bill in the next parliamentary
session.