Everyone lives, and everyone dies. It is a fact that everyone must come to terms with at some point. While we do not get to choose when, where, or how we are brought into this world, many people believe that we should have a choice in how we leave it. The method by which we would do this, and the method in question, is physician-assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia. “Euthanasia, more loosely termed mercy killing, means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering.” (Nordqvist) The law that is being proposed would prohibit a physician from providing any sort of assistance to someone who is attempting to end their own life. The process of physician-assisted suicide should be completely legal because it ends the prolongation of dying, it gives the individual the ability to make a choice and die with dignity, it creates the ability to reserve resources, we already do it …show more content…
There is voluntary euthanasia, which is conducted with consent, and then there is involuntary euthanasia, which is conducted without consent. It can then be broken down even further into passive and active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is when life-sustaining treatments are withheld from the patient, and active euthanasia is when lethal substances or forces are used to end a patient’s life. The law in question seems to be specifically targeting active, voluntary euthanasia. People are more wary of this form of euthanasia due to religious, ethical, and moral reasons. Some view it as murder while others believe that it goes against a doctor’s oath to save a person’s life however they can. From a religious standpoint, they believe that if God wanted that person to die, then it would happen and that they should not take it into their own hands. However, it is just as ungodly to take antibiotics for an infection or undergo surgery for a burst
Physican-assisted suicide is defined as a voluntary termination of one 's own life by administration of a lethal substance with direct or indirect assistance of a physican. (Webster Dictionary, 2011). This topic has been a very controversial subject among so many people from different types of states and countries. The fact that, some physican are agaisnt this and some are fore it can lead to a very huge debet on whether or not to legalize this act. For one moment, imgine that you are in the hospital bed, and you have been getting treated for years now and the doctor just tells you that you have no more hope and starting now, you will be going down hill with serve pain that not even medication will help relive this pain.
However, the negative views of this practice seem to overshadow the positive and assumptions are made that Physician-assisted suicide is an impractical way of ending a life. This practice is deemed as the worst from views of ethics, religion, medical practice, and more. However, it is an option and an option that does not have to be chosen if not wanted. That is what is ignored, but that is what people need to realize. No life has to be taken, but the option of ending your life peacefully should not be taken as well.
Many believe it is in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that, “no state shall deprive any person of life” (“14th Amendment”). However, the determining factor of life is not universally agreed upon, and one’s condition varies based on his or her ability to carry out daily tasks. Contrary to some common beliefs, the ban on physician-assisted suicide causes suffering for both the patient and for his or her family. Not only is it unfair to make the individual endure excruciating pain, but also no family member or friend should need to be a helpless bystander, watching a loved one slowly
I am concerned about physician assisted suicide. I do not believe that suicide is the answer, no matter the situation. I am against assisted suicide because I believe it is unethical to be allowed to choose to die. I think that assisted suicide should not be allowed. I also do not understand how a doctor or nurse could help a patient commit suicide.
Mill is correct to say that everyone should have the right to their own choices, regardless of how it may affect themselves. So long as it does not determent the legal obligations one has for others, an activity such as choosing one’s own course of death would not have a direct effect on those around them. In addition, the entirety of having a criminal prohibition on physician assisted deaths is unlawful under the Charter. It is far more inhumane to allow one to be put through pain and agony rather than the peaceful and painless death through other methods. This prohibition essentially tells others how to live the end scope of their lives, which takes away that individual’s right to their own life without any interference from the state.
I believe that Physician-assisted suicide should be legal in the United States for many reasons. I don’t believe in letting people live in pain and suffer. I think the option should be open to every terminally ill person in America. The option should always be there for people as it is for animals. One major code of ethics in the medical field is that a physician shall exercise his/her independent professional judgement and I think that should apply to this.
Not only does it give physician, who is still human, too much power and room for human error, it is religiously and morally incorrect, violates the Hippocratic oath, and above devalues the precious gift of life. As stated earlier, treatment is possible and should be looked into instead of giving up. Donating your final moments to research and to help aid in discovering different treatment options, could give a child a chance to live that is diagnosed with the same illness. There will always be pros and cons to this subject but my opinion stands. A person has to right to refuse or accept treatment, but should not be able to take their own lives by assistance of a
The debate over whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be a legal option for dying patients has long been a topic for discussion amongst members of the medical community. There are pros and cons for each argument, however, at the center of this debate is the consideration of patient advocacy and well-being. Although every health care profession centers their profession around providing the best ethical care for the patient, the most important value to consider are the decisions the patient makes for themselves. Currently, patients are given many safeguards such as living wills, a durable power of attorney, and the option for do not resuscitate that act as guidelines for end of life treatment. Physician-assisted suicide
Most of these statements come from religious persons or the physicians themselves. They claim that not only is it morally unjust but it is considered murder, “Today, nearly all states prohibit assisted suicide and euthanasia. In Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, assisting suicide is considered murder.” (Raed Gonzalez, J.D., LL.M candidate) For religious people assisted suicide goes against the laws of God.
Although Assisted suicide is illegal in most states, it is well known to help many patients, however opposing sides sees the impact it has on family and medical physicians who think it is unethical. Physician assisted suicide is for those who have life threatning illnesses and who do not have much time to live. However, from a legal standpoint, Physician assisted suicide does not include active
Patients have the right to the kind of treatment they want. 3) Conclusion a) Physician assisted suicide can help treat the terminally ill how they would like to be treated. b) The long history of assisted suicide speaks for itself in the matter of if it should be legal or
Many people think that there are too many problems with physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide is a procedure that allows physicians to prescribe their patients a lethal medication that they can inject themselves with in order to die on their own terms. There are specific requirements that the patients must meet in order to receive this medication. Physician assisted suicide is only for patients that have life threatening illnesses and do not have much time left to live. It is legal in numerous places around the world including certain places in the United States.
In the defense of Physician Assisted Suicide, a wide publicly talked about topic, it should be a choice every terminally ill patient receives. Physician Assisted suicide is when a patient is terminally ill and has no chances of recovering. The patient themselves can make the decision, with the help from their physician, to get lethally injected and end their life reducing and ending the pain. In America each state has a little over 3,000 patients that are terminally ill contact an advocacy group known as the Compassion and Choices to try to reduce end-of- life suffering and perhaps hasten their death. Physician Assisted Suicide shouldn’t be looked at as suicide, but as ending the pain and suffering from an individual whose life is going to be taken away anyway.
The Right to Die has been taking effect in many states and is rapidly spreading around the world. Patients who have life threatening conditions usually choose to die quickly with the help of their physicians. Many people question this right because of its inhumane authority. Euthanasia or assisted suicide are done by physicians to end the lives of their patients only in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana, New Mexico and soon California that have the Right to Die so that patients don’t have to live with depression, cancer and immobility would rather die quick in peace.
Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a term still new to many of us. It is a Greek term meaning ‘good death’. It means self-imposed death in a relatively painless and merciful way. Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary and active or passive.