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Right To Die Movement Essay

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Recommended: Moral and legal concerns about assisted suicide

The Right to Die movement is a group of organizations that support a physician’s ability to assist in patient suicide. Despite protest and attempts to legalize assisted suicide, it is only legal in three states in the Nation. Assisted suicide is not a new modern concept; the issue has been going on since as early as the 1900’s thanks to “Dr. Death.” The “Right to Die” movement is a growing organization that needs to be stopped. Worldwide, suicide is the top leading cause of death; starvation is the most common form of the so called ‘natural death.’ Death with Dignity is an organization whose mission is to “promote Death with Dignity laws based on the model Oregon Death with Dignity Act, both to provide an option for dying individuals and …show more content…

Jack Kevorkian’s case opened the eyes of the people and his actions had lasting effects on the Nation. According to the existing Hippocratic Oath, “an oath or promise all physicians must swear to uphold regarding the ethical practices of the medical profession.” (“Assisted Suicide”) This oath was a guide in many states decisions regarding assisted suicide cases. In 1997, the Supreme Court banned assisted suicide laws in New York and Washington. (“Point: Assisted”) Between 1997 and 2002, the state of Oregon was on board for the Right to Die movement and legalized assisted suicide. Upon Oregon’s legalization many other states, such as Arizona, Hawaii and Vermont, attempted to pass similar laws, but were denied. (“Point: Assisted”) Oregon, Washington, and Vermont are the only three states that allow the “mentally incompetent and terminally ill” to die upon request. (“Death with Dignity”) The Netherlands is the only other country that allows physicians to assist in patient suicide. (“Assisted …show more content…

Death with Dignity is an organization whose mission is to “promote Death with Dignity laws based on the model Oregon Death with Dignity Act, both to provide an option for dying individuals and to stimulate nationwide improvements in the end-of-life career.” (“Home-Death”) Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s practices had a lasting impact on assisted suicide laws, still affecting us today. (“Assisted Suicide”) However, with new modern techniques, suicide should be discouraged, causing suicide and unnatural death rates to drastically decrease because “killing for WHATEVER reason CANNOT be

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