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Physician Assisted Suicide In The Film The Suicide Tourist

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Suicide, or the act of intentionally ending ones life is a very sensitive and difficult topic for the average person to wrap their mind around. The human life is extremely valuable and should never be taken for granted. Unfortunately, due to many unforeseen circumstances, such as disease and illness, the quality of ones life can become compromised therefore in many ways decreasing its value. In these instances, where a person’s quality of life has become so diminished that there is no chance of revival, it is only fair to allow them the choice to end their agony. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) provides eligible patients, such as Craig Ewert from the film The Suicide Tourist (2007), with the knowledge and resources in order to terminate …show more content…

When recognizing this principle, it is also important to recognize that a person’s autonomous right should always be respected, despite controversial opinions. In regards to PAS, this is especially relevant. In order to grant all individuals their birth given right, we must respect their choices and decisions. If a terminally ill or diseased patient is nearing the end of their life due to sickness, as self-governing human beings they deserve to have the opportunity to end their life with dignity (Vaughn, 2010, p.598). In the film, The Suicide Tourist (2007), Craig Ewert shares his experiences as he exercises his independent right to die. As a patient suffering from amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS), Craig recognized that his life was coming to an end and he chose not to deny that. Throughout the film he frequently described himself as deteriorating, an empty shell, and a tube that simply takes in nutrients artificially and then excretes them for the sole purpose of “staying alive” (Zaritsky, 2007). However, Craig no longer viewed his life as truly living. ALS had completely taken over his life. This is when Craig made the decision to end his life on his own terms rather then allowing the horrible disease to completely overtake him. Through PAS, Craig was able to exercise his autonomy and make every decision regarding …show more content…

Although these are both understandable opinions, they do not overpower the human beings living rights. As autonomous humans we own the right to self-determination and to make our own life decisions, therefore we should also own the right to decide when to end our own life as well. They may also argue that PAS would not be acting out of beneficence because killing a person is in fact inflicting harm. Although in some instances death may be considered harmful, for terminally ill or incurable diseased patients with severe pain, death is a relief from the agony they have been endlessly enduring. In the eyes of those who are opposed to PAS, they must understand and view the act objectively as a medical intervention rather than a

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Thus, the patient must resort to using complex technology, machinery, or other’s cooperation to end his or her life. The issue is further complicated because the machinery and technology that would be used by patients to end his or her own life would most likely be produced by the collaboration of doctors. In this sense, it is like the doctor is aiding physically in the ending of a patient’s life (154). This is where it becomes difficult to draw a line between physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. It also follows, that the reasoning we would use to allow physician assisted suicide would also be the same criteria to allow

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One of the main objections to autonomy-based justifications of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) that Gill talks about is that many people believe it does not promote autonomy, but instead is actually taking it away (366). First, it is important to clarify what autonomy means. According to Gill, it is the ability of a person to make big decisions regarding their own life (369). Opponents of PAS argue that it takes away a person’s ability to make these big decisions and so it is intrinsically wrong for them to choose to take their own life.

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After careful consideration, Wallace discusses his desire for Physician-Assisted-Suicide (PAS) with his family and doctor. PAS is the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician (CITE). However, PAS

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Lee did not want to go on anymore. Since he lived in Oregon, he was able to opt for Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act to end his life with a lethal dose of pills prescribed by his doctor (Karaim, 2013, p. 451). This occurrence is an example of physician-assisted suicide, which is essentially suicide with the help of a physician by prescribing the patient with lethal medication. Today, physician assisted suicide is legal in only five states: Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and most recently California. Undoubtedly, physician assisted suicide is a highly controversial matter; due to this fact, California will certainly have effort groups who will want to repeal the “End of Life Act,” by which Governor of California Jerry Brown signed earlier this month

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The medical field is filled with opportunities and procedures that are used to help improve a patient’s standard of living and allow them to be as comfortable as possible. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a method, if permitted by the government, that can be employed by physicians across the world as a way to ease a patient’s pain and suffering when all else fails. PAS is, “The voluntary termination of one's own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician.”-Medicinenet.com. This procedure would be the patient’s decision and would allow the patient to end their lives in a more peaceful and comfortable way, rather than suffering until the illness takes over completely. Physician assisted suicide should be permitted by the government because it allows patients to end their suffering and to pass with dignity, save their families and the hospital money, and it allows doctors to preserve vital organs to save

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Gentrification is a widely discussed process that, in its showy efforts to restore the deteriorated areas of cities, has a range of deleterious consequences that unquestionably overcome the possible advantages. This system’s negative impact is reflected in the displacement of long-term residents, cultural homogenization, and aggravation of socio-economic inequalities, which indicates the need for a more just approach towards urban development. Hence, arguing that gentrification compromises social justice and prescribes fragmentation of society and intensification of the existing cleavages, it rightly becomes a matter of serious concern in any society that seeks to embrace progressive change and social justice for all. Gentrification usually

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In his article ‘A Right to Self-Termination?’ David Velleman brings up the topic of the right to die and elaborates his view on the subject. Two broad principles are stated by Velleman and he goes on to reject the first principle and accept the second principle. The first principle is that “a person has the right to make his own life shorter in order to make it better… ”the second principle is that there is “a presumption in favor of deferring to a person's judgment on the subject of his own good.

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However, these people do not consider the fact that it is not only selfish, but inhumane to ask another human to live a life of suffrage. Therefore, by forcing patients to live not only are we putting them through the humiliation of constant injections, uncomfortable doctor visits, but we are asking them to endure a life of loneliness and pain. The only right thing to do is support the choices, which patients make with their own bodies. Consequently, the command choice which patients make is assisted suicide. By being given the option of assisted suicide, patients have

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Physician assisted suicide is when a physician provides the means required to commit suicide, including prescribing lethal amounts of harmful drugs to a patient. In the United States alone, there is great controversy about physician assisted suicide. The issue is whether physician assisted suicide is murder or an act of sympathy for the patient. The main point is that terminally ill patients should have a right to physician assisted suicide if it meets their needs and is done properly. Physician assisted suicide is an appropriate action for the terminally ill that want to end their life in peace before it ends at the hands of the terminal disease.

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For the terminally ill the decision of ending their lives with compassion should be a fundamental right, a personal

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“The Suicide Tourist” Since 2009, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-seven people have died because of the use of euthanasia. Euthanasia is known as the harmless killing of a patient who is enduring a lot of pain. In the documentary “The Suicide Tourist” Craig Ewart is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, and was paralyzed from his hip down. ALS is known to weaken your muscles and can cause the muscles to lose function, and not function properly. Craig decided to go to Switzerland with his wife, where euthanasia is legal, and decided to end his life using euthanasia.

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The right to choose is underlying and employs to all elements of “human life,” so each individual has the right to elect the circumstance of the own death. Every individual has the right to choose to end the life if the situation is completely intolerable. If a

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