Hi Stoory,  Sorry I didn't watch it, I did hear something briefly on the news that he wants voluntary youthenasia spelling sorry,  legalised

I've read loads of Terry Pratchets books..The fabulous "Discworld" seriesa.SKY has shown several of them "The colour of Magic" and "The Hogfather" ,excellent.He is a great writer,all the more tragic that he  now knows
 his mind will deteriorate,he will lose his creative  writing skills, and also his body will start to fail.
If he wants to end his life,when he thinks he wants to ,so be it.

Thanks for the replies guys   He is a great writer Katty......just not my thing, but I appreciate how good he is.

It's a bugger of a thing to deal with, but to be so lucid about it, and to know what's round the corner, and be powerless to do anything about it.........gulp.

Sorry Stoory I didn't see it either.  There was football on again tonight.  
Most people are in bed now so I'm sure there'll be some around tomorrow who will have watched it.

No stoory. I would like to have seen it but I was unable to.
Many of the arguments about euthanasia focus on the possibility of the subject being unable to make proper informed choices; that the subject might be influenced by others with ulterior motives or strong resistance to the idea.
But, as I understand from what I saw in the press, here we have someone who has been diagnosed with alzheimers, but who - at the moment - is clearly able to make his own proper informed choices.
I wish I had seen it. From what I have read I admire him.
Thanks stoory.

Legal suicide will never be approved here IMO.. There are lots of internet sites that advise folk on the best way to commit suicide yourself.

yes but the legal thing is helped suiced etc.If ,someone wants to end their life  but they maybe can't ,they want no crimanal charges against those that help them .It is a  minefield law wise..

Would have loved to have seen that. Does anyone know if it will be repeated at all? What channel was it on? Thanks 

It was on BBC1 I think so should be on the Iplayer

The Daily Mail.....yes I know!.....has a very good interview with TP in it today.

It's always best if one commits suicide oneself.

I read that too.  Very good article.

I saw it and it was brilliant, he made a fantastic argument for Assisted Death (he doesn't like the term 'Assisted Suicide').  What he was basically saying is that people with incurable diseases should have some control over their own death with medical help.  A medically assisted death, cushioned with appropriate drugs and surrounded by loved ones, should be an option for those with 'no hope'.  He suggested a panel of 'wise' people should judge each case, in order to prevent any abuse of the vulnerable, or the death of someone who just wants to die for other reasons like temporary depression. 


It would certainly be preferable to suicide, which is traumatic, painful and distressing for family.  No matter what suicide websites say, there are few suicide methods that are quick and painless.  You don't just take an overdose and fall asleep you know, it's a slow painful death as the liver fails.  It can take days.  I can't really think of a non-traumatic suicide method.


It was a fantastic argument, and I totally agree that euthanasia is a kind and merciful option in the case of the 'hopeless'.  It is a comfortable way of assisting someone at the end of their natural life, and much preferable to keeping people alive beyond their natural time as medicine is doind more and more.


I liked the bit where he said it's not on when real Knights can't even walk the streets with their sword these days 

An abridged version of the speech was also available in yesterday's Grauniad G2 section.