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Should assisted suicide be lawful
Legal and ethical issues surrounding physician-assisted suicides
Should assisted suicide be lawful
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Assisted suicide or the right to die is an extremely controversial topic that has been talked about for decades. Assisted suicide is for terminally ill patients that know they will never win their battle and want to pick when and how they die. Which is normally before their disease becomes intolerable. Over the last couple years, this controversy has had a lot more media coverage because of people sharing their stories and working to give it the attention it needs and had not been getting. In the United States more people have been on the side of passing laws so that those who assist do not get charged for the crime. One major story that was in the news that seemed to bring back the most coverage of this topic was a young woman having to move to a different state just to have …show more content…
More pros are that there will not be more hospital bills being added on even though everyone knows it will turn into the family having to pay them and the doctors and nurses do not have to watch their patients suffer while making sure they are comfortable. Cons the doctors that have been trying to save your life now help you to end it, not all family will be ready to let you go, especially in that way, insurance might not be willing to pay for the medication needed for assisted suicide. One thing that can be under both pros and cons is life insurance, there are a few articles out that say the life insurance companies will pay even if it is assisted suicide. This money could help someone make a decision for assisted suicide if they were worried that if they went through with it, then the family would not have the money and therefore not be able to pay for a funeral or medical
Imagine a family member being extremely ill and suffering from day to day. When they decide they cannot take the pain any more, would you want them to pull through for you or would you fulfill their dying wish and let the doctor pull the plug? Could you even make a decision? Many people would not allow such an event to happen because with all the pain and confusion the patient is enduring may cause confusion and suicidal tendencies. However, there are people who believe otherwise. This is called physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a controversial topic that causes much debate. Though it is only legal in the three states Oregon, Washington and Montana, there are many people who are for it and think it can be necessary. Even with morals put aside, Physician-assisted suicide should be illegal because it will be a huge violation of the oath every doctor must abide by, there would be no real way to distinguish between people who are suffering and the people who are faking or depressed, and it causes a lot of confusion to people with new diseases or new strands of disease that does not have a clear cure.
There are many convincing and compelling arguments for and against Physician Assisted Suicide. There are numerous different aspects of this issue including religious, legal and ethical issues. However, for the purpose of this paper, I will examine the ethical concerns on both sides. There are strong pro and con arguments regarding this and I will make a case for both. It is definitely an issue that has been debated for years and will continue to be debated in years to come.
Currently, in the United States, 12% of states including Vermont, Oregon, and California have legalized the Right to Die. This ongoing debate whether or not to assist in death with patients who have terminal illness has been and is still far from over. Before continuing, the definition of Right to Die is, “an individual who has been certified by a physician as having an illness or physical condition which can be reasonably be expected to result in death in 24 months or less after the date of the certification” (Terminally Ill Law & Legal Definition 1). With this definition, the Right to die ought to be available to any person that is determined terminally ill by a professional, upon this; with the request of Right to Die, euthanasia must be
...their own life and die with their own dignity is huge thing among anyone. No one should be denied the right to leave this earth if they are in constant and terrible pain. But people were also asked whether physician-assisted suicide should be allowed for people in severe pain who aren't terminally ill or for those with disabilities and the outcome was, “a solid majority — 71 percent — opposed the idea, with only 29 percent in favor of it. The results were the same as in 2011.” (Hensley, 2012). The whole idea of having physician-assisted suicide is for a patient with a severe illness with months to live is to go out in peace and without any complications. Overall, physician-assisted suicide has many pros and cons but the main issue is the patient. It should not be up to anybody except the dying patient. There are only four states that have legalized assisted-suicide.
Should euthanasia be allowed or not? It has become a very controversial issue nowadays. Velleman and Hooker have different perspectives on euthanasia, and whether there should be laws permitting voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia. Although there are well-reasoned arguments on both sides, I would strongly agree with Hooker's argument that there should be a law permitting voluntary euthanasia when it is for the wellbeing of the person and that each individual should be able to make their own decision.
Euthanasia - Pro and Con & nbsp; Abstract & nbsp; This paper will define Euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is often confused with and associated with assisted suicide, definitions of the two are. required. Two perspectives shall be presented in this paper. The first perspective favor euthanasia or the "right to die," the second perspective. favor antieuthanasia, or the "right to live". Each perspective shall. endeavor to clarify the legal, moral and ethical ramifications or aspects of euthanasia. & nbsp; Thesis Statement & nbsp; Euthanasia, also mercy killing, is the practice of ending a life so as to.
The pros for physician assisted suicide outweigh the cons. It is cost effective which makes it more affordable for a patient. It is the humane thing to do. Saving the patient from being in excruciating pain to the point where they are not functional. Empowers the patient from feeling like their body will be taken over by their illness. Also helping the family come to terms with their loved one’s illness and understand that death will come. Although this option is not for everyone, it should be made available in every state to give every patient who fits the criteria needed to get physician assisted suicide a
In conclusion, assisted suicide will always be a controversial subject whether you feel it is right or wrong. Some will agree others won't, which makes it much like abortion. As time goes by more and more are opening up to the idea of abortion a lot like what is going to happen with assisted suicide. More states will make it legal and eventually people will get used to the idea of a doctor helping someone end their own life. It may or may not be right but, in the end a person has there own brain and body. They get to decide what they want to do with both and no one can stop them but themselves. If assisted suicide really bothered the nation that much we would see more of an effort to get suicidal people under control and get them the help they need. One day, hopefully soon, where someone will stand up and take charge.
Up to 8.5% of terminally ill patients express a sustained and persuasive for an early death (Marks and Rosielle). Terminally ill patients have long lasting, painful deaths and they should have the option of assisted suicide so they don’t have to go through that. Assisted suicide is when a patient writes a written request to a doctor and after two days the doctor can prescribe lethal drugs to the patient (Engber). The doctor can’t administer them himself, that would be euthanasia, the patients has to take them him or herself (Engber). Assisted suicide should be legal because it ends patient's suffering and pain, and it is their individual right to determine their own fate.
Imagine a scenario where you’re in tremendous pain and you want to end the pain before death comes over you. Even if you wanted to make that choice, the government of the United States has already made this choice for you by illegalizing what is called assisted suicide. There are 3 different kinds of suicide involving the assistance of others; assisted suicide, euthanasia and passive euthanasia, and mercy killing, these came to be a hot topic during the 1990s when doctors and nurses started going to jail because of helping their patients kill themselves, not for financial gain but because it was the humane and just thing to do(Ackerman). As a human we are given the right to life as an infant, so shouldn’t by default we be given the right to die? Assisted suicide should be legal for many reasons, because of our freedoms and liberties, to lessen the amount of end of life pain and to save money.
The patients will have the understanding that if they cannot keep fighting the option is available. ¨ There is not more profoundly personal decision, nor one which is closer to the heart of personal liberty, than the choice which a terminally ill person makes to end his or her suffering and hasten an inevitable death¨ ( Sarah Henry, 1996, p. 10). If they are ready to end it, the option is available. They know the choice they make will affect them, but it also helps to know if they cannot go on they can tell the doctor and they will end it. ¨ Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations is the first religious group to pass in favor of Euthanasia for the terminally ill¨ ( Leading Issue Timelines, 2017, p. 8¨. The terminally ill should have the right to know if they are going to be allowed to end their lives if the fighting gets hard and to unbearable. They do not want to give up just to be on the road of a slow and possibly painful death. ¨ Between physician and patient concerning a request for assisted suicide be witnessed by two adults¨ ( Yale Kamisar, 1998, p. 6). The doctor´s are not going to just inject the patient with the killing drug. The patient has to be able to say for themselves and someone else has to be present when said, when gone over and when they are injected. The family can know their family member really wants to follow through with it and they have
Assisted suicide is becoming increasingly more common. Arguing the topic is extremely hard because it means the the life or death of a human being. Today, assisted suicide is legal in multiple countries, but only a few states in the US support this. Therefore, creates a struggle for any person wanting to go through this process. Being this is a broad topic, most people are torn between one side, I personally believe there should be a compromise in between the middle. For instance, not just someone going through a troublesome time in their life should have the ability to up and kill himself. That in my perspective is taking an easy way out for something that is worth a tremendous amount. However, the few people with a deadly illness or cancer that can no longer fight the pain or perhaps unresponsive should be given that option. Just because we have the ability to be euthanized does
In conclusion, legalizing physician assisted suicide will reduce health care costs by not having patients kept on expensive machines and needing expensive surgeries. Allowing patients to legally receive assistance with their suicides will allow doctors to manage their time on more promising patients instead of ones that will most likely die within a couple days to a couple of months. Legalizing assisted suicide will not only allow doctors to manage their time better, but gives the patient an option. Some worry about legalizing assisted suicide going against the doctor’s oath, but the patients are the ones who are suffering, not the doctors. Many believe that legalizing physician assisted suicide will allow options for the patients so they aren’t suffering anymore.
“Euthanasia is defined as a deliberate act undertaken by one person with the intention of ending life of another person to relieve that person's suffering and where the act is the cause of death.”(Gupta, Bhatnagar and Mishra) Some define it as mercy killing. Euthanasia may be voluntary, non voluntary and involuntary. When terminally ill patient consented to end his or her life, it is called voluntary euthanasia. Non voluntary euthanasia occurs when the suffering person never consented nor requested to end a life. These patients are incompetent to decide because they are either minor, in a comatose stage or have mental conditions. Involuntary euthanasia is conducted when it is against the will of the patient (Gupta, Bhatnagar, Mishra). Euthanasia can be either passive or active. Passive euthanasia means life-sustaining treatments are withheld and nothing is done to keep the patient alive. Active euthanasia occurs when a physician do something by giving drugs or substances that ends a patient’s life. (Medical News Today)
This also helps it’s free up medical funds to help other people. In other cases, it could be a freedom of choice if the patient wants to end their life without going through anymore suffering. A lot of argument is over whether Euthanasia devalues life or if it is against human morals to take another life. While a person's decisions do play a role in this, most of the time it will be a physician's choice to see if the patient should live or not.