December 2nd 2024.
A fellow reader has shared a heartbreaking story about his daughter's experience in hospice care. He believes that her suffering could have been prevented if she had been given the option to end it. He invites others to share their thoughts on this topic and other MetroTalk discussions in the comments section.
The reader, Mike Longhurst, is writing this email only two days after his daughter Kate passed away from cancer in a hospice. He is unsure if he will be able to finish writing or even send the email. A month ago, when Kate was told she had up to two months to live, she chose to only receive palliative care. However, this decision led to a month of unnecessary pain, indignity, fear, and discomfort for both Kate and her ex-wife, despite the wonderful care they received.
Kate was eventually taken to a hospice where her suffering continued for 13 days until she passed away. It was a relief for everyone involved, as her avoidable suffering had finally come to an end. However, the reader and his ex-wife will forever be scarred by the experience. Kate was a strong and decisive person, and she had expressed that if she had the option, she would have chosen to end her own life. But as her condition deteriorated, she became more helpless and was unable to do so. The reader believes that her human right to choose her own end was denied by political debates and media coverage on the topic of assisted dying. He even goes as far as to say that he wanted to drag some politicians to the hospice and have them explain to Kate why their decisions were supposedly better for her.
The reader expresses his frustration with the bigger picture and the supposed "greater good." He no longer trusts the politicians who voted against the bill to make any decisions that truly matter. He believes they should stick to trivial issues where they can do no harm. The reader concludes by saying that not all men are responsible for this suffering, but only certain ones.
The next topic for discussion is violence against women and girls. A reader named Paul responds to Sarah from Brixton, who believes that the issue should be labeled as "male violence" instead. Paul argues that the recent debates have already labeled it as such, but he points out that by using a catch-all definition, innocent men who support the cause are being accused. He suggests that the perpetrators should be labeled correctly, rather than making generalizations.
The next topic is about a young driver, George Taylor, who caused an accident that left a woman paralyzed from the neck down. A reader named Stephen Pickup calls for Christian forgiveness, while another reader named William Barklam argues that revoking Taylor's driver's license permanently would be a more effective form of punishment. He believes that a ban acts as a deterrent for others and ensures the safety of innocent people. Another reader, Graham Pearson, sarcastically suggests that Stephen should be informed about the concept of permanent punishment for one's actions. Meanwhile, Charles EL Gilman shares his personal experience with forgiveness, and how it can be detrimental in certain situations. He also brings up the Church of England's forgiving attitude towards its clergy, questioning the teachings of Jesus.
The final topic is a light-hearted one, as a mystery cat from West Wickham station has been identified. The cat, named George, belongs to Steven Fletcher and his wife Eloise, who works for Mail Metro Media and is currently on maternity leave. George is a regular at the station and is often found resting on copies of Metro. His owners are amused by the fact that he was actually featured in the newspaper on Thursday. The reader invites others to share their thoughts on the article in the comments section.
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