Assisted Suicide is the act of doctors prescribing deathly medications to people wanting to end their life. Oregon, Washington, countries overseas, and more are beginning to legalize this act. The fear is that these laws target the most vulnerable, elderly, disabled, and terminally ill patients. For example, Barbara Wagner was notified by letter that the Oregon Health Plan wouldn’t cover her prescription to help with her cancer, but the letter notified her that it would cover a prescription for assisted suicide (Not Suicide Help). This shows that assisted suicide laws are set up to pressure the vulnerable population into giving into suicide.
State’s safeguards are insufficient because they contain loopholes to drive a hearse through them. They deal with requests for assisted suicide, family notification, and counseling or psychological evaluation. The law states that the physician is to “recommend that the patient notify next to kin”, but family notification is not required. A psychiatric evaluation is required only if the physician believes that the mental illness is causing impaired judgement. The state’s laws adds a layer of unprecedented
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It will eliminate choice for the most vulnerable. We need more, not fewer, rights. Government-approved suicide as an end-of-life option does not give more rights; it takes them away. There are no safeguards that can ensure that there will not be abuse. Some of the most vulnerable will be pressure to end it all for the convenience and sometimes for the financial benefits of others. Patients will be unduly influenced into giving into family members. Many elderly/disabled have loving supportive families, it is those who do not who are at the highest risk. Recent history shows that more than 300 cases of reported abuse of the disabled/elderly have been ignored by the state. This is evidence that the state cannot protect the vulnerable