Image: left – Wikipedia Commons – Pam Duncan‑Glancy
In a powerful contribution to the ongoing debate surrounding assisted dying, MSP Pam Duncan‑Glancy reminds us of the human spirit’s enduring capacity for meaning, even when speech, movement, or breath come into question. As she eloquently declares: “I’m 43 years old… I can speak but I can’t do much else for myself… I wouldn’t rather be dead” This poignant declaration underlines an urgent truth: the value of life is not contingent on physical autonomy.
Duncan‑Glancy’s call to “legislate to assist people to live,” rather than to assist them to die, resonates deeply with pro‑life advocates. It echoes a fundamental principle that lies at the heart of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children: that every human life, from conception to natural death, demands dignity, protection, and support.
SPUC champions exactly this ethos, working tirelessly to safeguard the most vulnerable, those at the beginning and end of life. This twin focus underlines a holistic respect for life, grounded in compassionate care and cultural transformation.
In stark contrast, disability rights campaigns sometimes encounter subtle but insidious ableism, the notion that a life constrained by physical limitations may not be worth living. Duncan‑Glancy confronts this prejudice head‑on, insisting that “it can be very difficult to imagine that there is life after the ability to talk, walk and breathe by yourself,” and urging lawmakers not to legislate for death but rather to create laws that bolster life’s value even amid limitation.
For pro-life advocates such as SPUC, this message is familiar and urgent: life remains precious, regardless of ability. True support means investing in inclusive care, dignified assistance, and social infrastructures that affirm, and not negate, human worth.
By aligning Duncan-Glancy’s lived insight with SPUC’s foundational mission, this narrative invites policymakers to reframe priorities: first, to heal societal ableism; second, to resist any legislation that normalises life-ending procedures; and third, to champion policies that uphold both the sacredness and the sanctity of all lives, including those lived with profound disability.
