Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide?

Here in the UK there is a major Hoo Haa going on regards this subject on three fronts.
1. A film was broadcast that showed the last living moments of one Craig Ewart as he died in Switzerland in assisted suicide. Craig had Motor Neurone Disease.
2. No charges to be brought on the parents of the rugby player Daniel James who was paralysed from the chest down and died in Switzerland.
3. MSP Margo McDonald, who has a degenerative disease, Parkinsons Disease, has launched a bid to have assisted suicide legalised in the UK.

Now, I'm not going to rant about this as it wouldn't do the cause any good.
I have extensive experience working in residential homes for the elderly and if I had a £ for every resident who asked me why assisted suicide/euthanasia was not legal because they had had enough pain, I'd be a few bob up and close to early retirement. None of these individuals were being pressured by relatives etc and did not have any monies of note to leave in a Will. No, they had simply had enough of life after say, 90 years and were looking towards death with longing. Most if not all had some form of illness they found painful and debilitating.

We, as humans, decide when an animal's pain has reached a point when it is "humane" to put them down and yet we do not facilitate our fellow humans with the same ""Humane" option. Should we not be affording out fellow humans the same compassion we give to animals?

If any member of my family was suffering to the extent that they could convince me and the medical profession (in the UK or any other country) that they truly wished to end their lives rather than continue in insufferable pain or to avoid inevitable insufferable pain, I would be glad to assist them to relieve their pain once and for all. I would also like to think that they would show the same compassion for me should the situation arise.

My biggest fear is dementia, I don't want to lead my life like that in the future and hopefully, by the time I get to the age where it is most prevalent, a Living Will will be legal and I will have one on place in order to put me out of my misery and see my wishes carried out.

This is 2008, we need to move forwards in this modern world with modern thought and not adhere to 2000 year old +++ religious doctrine.

At present we are moving backwards into the future. Let's change that!

Be Well and Prosper!
Al