Responsible Discussion

However you feel about the recently passed Federal tax change bill, or, for that matter, the failed AHCA, you had to find the process by which they were formulated and debated to be, well, disconcerting – written in secret, subjected to no debate in the case of the AHCA, if I understand properly, and only cursory meetings in the case of the tax change bill. The mad rush to get the bills through Congress and onto Trump’s desk betrayed a fundamental irresponsibility on the part of the Congressional GOP.

So this report in NewScientist (9 December 2017) on the legalization of euthanasia in the state of Victoria in Australia was a reminder that some people know how to legislate:

VICTORIA has become the first state in Australia to legalise euthanasia. The state’s parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill last week after more than 100 hours of debate.

And the bill passed. It’s loaded with safeguards:

The legislation includes 68 safeguards to prevent foul play, such as criminal offences to stop vulnerable people from being coerced into ending their lives.

No matter your opinion on euthanasia, or perhaps more accurately legalized suicide, they followed a process, they had a real debate, perhaps some of the legislators actually changed their minds, and they finally passed it. I’d cheer either result, honestly. This is how adults run a country.

I wonder if they take interns. I know a whole bunch of people who could use the experience.