On June 28th Greg Atkins (for) and Graham Stride (against) from Wincanton explored the arguments for and against Assisted Dying. in order to initiate  our discussion.  To  prepare here is a recent cover article in favor from the Economist. Also highly recommended is a documentary on the BBC I Player entitled BETTER OFF DEAD in which the presenter is against assisted dying from the perspective of a disabled person.
A further paper on this site is an updated version of a paper written for ANVIL in 2013 (John Baxter). To read it go to  the main headings above and click on ASSISTED DYING. A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT? (Quite a long paper!)

In two excellent presentations our Proposer, Greg, and Responder, Graham, both gave their opinions, not so much debating one side against the other, as exploring themes and making us all aware of the many different ways that forms of assisted dying could be introduced varying from the most restrictive, that is only for those suffering from immanent death from a very painful condition, through to cases where the right to choose to die is seen as a human right open to all. There are also a wide range of options from self medication to the lethal medication being given by a doctor. Then there were the issues of elegibility. Those with long term non lethal but very unpleasant condidtions to those with mental health problems or dementia or children with very severe extreme handicaps.  Then there are the social problems raised in Canada where poverty and homelessness have been given as grounds for seeking death and where the take up of assisted dying is starting to save the health service a substantial amount..

Since this is such a controversial and  many-faceted subject JB who was chair for the meeting suggested the earlier ANVIL practice of inviting all who wished to express uninterrupted their point of view after the main speakers and before the coffee break and almost everyone chose to speak . After coffee we had a full discussion with questions and answers. The result was overall a thoroughly provoking and satisfying session which left us all with an understanding of the complexities and variations that the provision of assisted dying schemes might lead to.

For our ANVIL Zoom Session 7.pm. Wednesday.  For invitation email me.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER
The first version of this paper was written in Oct 2013 for ANVIL and is now much revised in this my eightieth year of March 2021. In it I put the case that it be recognised that everyone should be able to die painlessly (and safely) at a time of their own choosing as a basic human right and the law should be changed to facilitate this. Continue reading →

How lucky we have been in having among our ANVIL Associates Greg Atkins, former professor of Virology at Trinity College Dublin, who offered, just before Covid-19 appeared at the end of 2019, to give us a talk on his specialism.  He entitled his talk “The Danger Posed by Emerging Virus Infections.” This week, on the 10^th of June 2020, backed up by his UTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19RdLqBMoK4  Greg updated ANVIL and lead us in a discussion of his subject on ZOOM. Continue reading →

Fascinating, troubling and illustrated with a Power Point that included some amazing diagrams, photographs and video clips, Dave’s talk took us to some stark, new places. Continue reading →

This session consisted in Greg emphasising the need for a science based approach to deciding what is true and real and concluding that all forms of supernaturalism and belief in gods ,, one god, spirits and miracles are not based on evidence.  Graham responded that as he saw it there is far more too life than what can be weighted and measured by science and that intuitively many believe as he does that behind all that is happening there is a compassionate God .  Continue reading →

Summary Notes on HOMO DEUS. A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari 2015  written by John Baxter March 2018. 5,814 words 9 pages so worth printing off.

 These notes simply seek to summarise Homo Deus as an aid to understanding the book’s challenging ideas.  It is not a review for I do not here judge what he says.   It is an aid not a substitute for reading the book and his equally challenging SAPIENS.   Continue reading →

Schools and Education. Have We Got the Basics Right? Brian Garton. Wednesday, 07 February 2018. To see the paper it is here. Continue reading →

ANVIL the structured discussion group. Programme for 2018 Continue reading →

Yes, as some of you know for the last two years I have been working on researching and then writing up, the life story of the amazing but almost unknown soldier of Napoleon and Clockmaker of Wincanton, Alberto Bioletti. I have done this in the form of an historical novel told as if by him in the first person. My 350p work is now self-published and on Amazon. For more details see the page above on Bioletti