Assisted Suicide: History, Laws and Personal Perspectives

What states have law allowing assisted suicide?

How will you find your own belief and opinion about assisted suicide?

What is the history of assisted suicide?

What are the pros and cons of assisted suicide?

History

Advocacy for physician assistance in dying when faced with a terminal illness has a long history, and recently we've seen some great strides forward:

Oregon: In 1994 voters passed this law, and after a series of challenges went into effect in 1997. Legal challenges continued even after Oregon's law went into effect culminating in the 2006 US Supreme Court decision in 2006's Gonzales vs. Oregon.

Washington: In 2008, Washington voters passed their Death with Dignity Act, and effect in 2009.

Montana: In December 2009, Montana's Supreme

The rate among U.S. voters was similar, with about 67 percent voting against physician-assisted suicide. (Bahar Gholipour, 2013)

The PEW research group did a large study that got statistic data to support or refute assisted suicide. There were many studies and polls performed to look at the different views on assisted suicide. http://www.pewforum.org/2013/11/21/views-on-end-of-life-medical-treatments/ Pros and Cons

Autonomy (independence and the right of self-determination) is certainly valued in modern society and patients do, and should, have the right to accept or reject medical treatment. However, those who favor assisted suicide claim that autonomy extends to the right of a patient to decide when, where, how and why to die

Elimination of suffering: The second pillar of assisted-suicide advocacy is elimination of suffering. During each and every attempt to permit euthanasia and assisted suicide, its advocates stress that ending suffering justifies legalization of the practices. (Marker, 2013)

There are Cons but most of the Cons found relate back to religion and sin vs. non sin, and heaven vs. hell.

But just like everything else, everyone has their own opinion and this is one subject where there will be several

Whatever the force of such arguments for believers, these arguments do not justify restricting the liberty of individuals in a secular society.

Physicians as healers; Many physicians regard PAS as violating a fundamental tenet of medicine: to heal and not to harm. Dr Kenneth Stevens, chairman of the department of radiation oncology at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and an opponent of the Oregon law, says, “I went into medicine to help people. I didn’t go into medicine to give people a prescription for them to die.” (Steinbock, 2005)

Strategies to deal with the issue

There is no real way with dealing with the issue. It is what it is. Rather you agree with it or not it exists and will continue to