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Pros and cons of assisted physician suicide
Assisted Suicide Pros
Pros and cons of physician assisted suicide
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Assisted suicide and euthanasia are phenomena developed in the past 20 years. They’re similar to each other because they both have to do with taking away another human being’s life. While assisted suicide is defined as the act of providing a drug prescription or lethal dosage to a patient by a physician and the person can decide when to take the dosage, euthanasia is the practice of killing a sick individual where a physician takes an active part on the process. PAS and euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Colombia, India, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Oregon, Washington , Montana and Vermont. For years a debate on assisted death has been going on. There are groups who believe it should not be charged as murder and there are others who believe it should. In this essay the reader will be introduced to some of the main reasons why a government pass a law to make them [PAS and euthanasia] legal. Assisted death should not be legalized because there are cases when it is hard to determine if it is murder or assisted suicide. This, because it is very similar to homicide. The difference between them lies on the reasons which push someone to end another person’s life. The Kenneth Minor case is one of the most popular cases in which the difficulty to make the difference between a murder and assisted suicide has grabbed the public’s attention. In 2009, Minor, a drug addict with criminal records, insisted he helped Jeffrey Locker, a public speaker, to commit suicide in order for his family to get nearly $16 million in insurance policies. Locker’s dead body had been stabbed to death. Minor even claimed he held the knife while Locker thrust his chest upon the knife. Then evidence came out that Locker had faced economic problems befor... ... middle of paper ... ... each other that life’s worth living and worth fighting for. They should never deal with the problem of suffering by eliminating those who suffer. The legalization of physician assisted suicide and euthanasia is a big step. Actually, it is a huge freedom. The problem with it is that human society is not ready to deal with such liberation. Statistics have shown that humans find it hard to manage it. Doctors might abuse with their power, individuals might make a wrong decision and things might get out of hand. If this happens some of the possible consequences are the death of thousands of patients by involuntary euthanasia, the abuse of vulnerable people or a damaged doctor- patient relationship. Does the society need to take this risk when the history of the past years shows that the assisted death procedure does not function properly? Are the people ready for this?
As the years go by our society advances in all fields. As a result, we as a society have come to question many elements in our lives by comparing them to longstanding morals and traditions. The medical fields has always, and probably will always, raise many controversial issues. The latest concerns whether euthanasia or physician assisted suicide should be universally legalized in the U.S. Those opposed see that there are other alternatives other than taking a person’s own life, with the help of a doctor. Not only are they essential to incorporate into the options for people experiencing terminal illnesses, legalization would allow an overall upgrade in combating abuse with this treatment, at the same time, people are thoroughly against the
The right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the United States. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. Some are against it because of religious and moral reasons. Others are for it because of their compassion and respect for the dying. Physicians are also divided on the issue. They differ where they place the line that separates relief from dying--and killing. For many the main concern with assisted suicide lies with the competence of the terminally ill. Many terminally ill patients who are in the final stages of their lives have requested doctors to aid them in exercising active euthanasia. It is sad to realize that these people are in great agony and that to them the only hope of bringing that agony to a halt is through assisted suicide.When people see the word euthanasia, they see the meaning of the word in two different lights. Euthanasia for some carries a negative connotation; it is the same as murder. For others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death painlessly, or allowing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition to die by withholding extreme medical measures. But after studying both sides of the issue, a compassionate individual must conclude that competent terminal patients should be given the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce the damaging financial effects of hospital care on their families, and preserve the individual right of people 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.
People have their own beliefs on certain topics like abortion, right to die assisted-suicide, and the stand your ground laws. These beliefs are either conservative or liberal. Liberal thinkers believe that a woman has the right to do whatever she wants to do with her body and that a person has the right to die if they want to. Conservative thinkers believe that a baby is a human being and that a loved one or doctor should not help a loved one kill itself. I am on the conservative side for these different types of murders:abortion,right to die assisted-suicide,and stand your ground laws. We in America have our freedom and we can do almost anything we want, but just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it for example
Assisted suicide and euthanasia is a controversial issue all over the world, and it leads to debate as to whether or not an individual should be allowed to decide the moment and form of one’s death, along with the
In conclusion, euthanasia and assisted suicide should be legalized world wide. To end suffering, to keep one’s autonomy and their desire to perform daily actions, and to prevent the fear of burdening loved ones are among many reasons people resort to euthanasia or assisted suicide. A doctor is morally obligated to relieve the pain and suffering of a patient, and no one should be forced to suffer for any length of time. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are intimate procedures that only concern the involved parties. People have a right to choose how their life is lived, so they should have the same right to choose how to end their life.
This issue has become a central concern to the medical profession, legislators, philosophers, social psychologists, as well as the public. Interests in this controversial matter continue to grow increasingly whether it should be legalized. Perhaps everyone would have one's own thought and opinion. Nevertheless, assisted death is never a proper expression of compassion. It shows no care for the patients.
There are two methods of carrying out euthanasia, the first one is active and the second one is passive. Active euthanasia means the physicians deliberately take actions which cause the death of the patients, for example, the injection of sedatives in excess amount. Passive euthanasia is that the doctors do not take any further therapies to keep the ill patients alive such as switching off the life supporting machines [1]. This essay argues that the legalization of the euthanasia should not be proposed nowadays. It begins by analyzing the problem that may cause in relation to the following aspects: ‘slippery slope’ argument, religious view, vulnerable people and a rebuttal against the fair distribution of medical resources. This essay concludes that the legalization of the voluntary euthanasia brings more harm than good.
“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)
To die with dignity is everyone wish. Euthanasia is the practice of ending a life that releases the person from an incurable disease. It’s a quiet, easy and painless death. This can be done by doctors on patient’s wish. Previously, doctor was the person who treating the patient as companion. Now a doctor is person who cure the disease, but will not be companion always. What will never show sign of change is patient’s unbearable pain. Many times there is nothing a specialist can do to cure disease, except to wait for death of a patient. This make the patient and surrounding them to suffer. Thus to consent to euthanasia makes an individual free from increasing suffer, less economic burden and feel glad on self-choice.
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.
Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in American society that must be dealt with. In assisted suicide, a patient who is terminally ill requests the doctor to administer a lethal dose of medication to end his life. Assisted suicide brings up many moral and legal issues regarding the right of a patient to die with respect and the duties of a doctor. This issue is divided among people who believe that doctor assisted suicide is illegal and immoral and those who believe that suicide is a right that people have. Doctors who aid a patient to commit suicide are performing an illegal act and should be penalized to the full extent of the law.
When it comes to the topic of assisted suicide, most of us will agree that this is a very complicated debate.Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of assisted suicide being a crime. Whereas some are convinced that assisted suicide is a reasonable matter, others maintain that it is manslaughter.
Today assisted suicide is no longer illegal. However, it is forbidden in forty-five of fifty states. One of the only legislation explicitly allowing assisted suicide is Oregon's Death with Dignity act, which allows doctors and physicians to assist terminally ill patients to end their own lives. I believe that assisted suicide should be permitted in at least half of the states because I don’t think assisted suicide is bad, while other people misunderstand it. Many people see suicide or assisted suicide as instinctive, they then think that it would be an act of freedom and assume there are no legal prohibitions. To clarify this topic we will first define assisted suicide and under what circumstances it should be practiced. Then discuss the history of assisted suicide and finally how it has evolved into today.
Thousands of people nationwide suffer with a terminal disease that inevitably will end their life. Many live day by day in unremitting pain with fear, aware that because of their illness they soon will take their last breathe. A sum of these people/patients ask for the choice to avoid death from their disease and instead choose when to go on their own terms and in peace with the help of their physicians before the disease takes them.This choice is called assisted suicide, it is a form of euthanasia, a procedure by which a physician provides the means for death, most often with a prescription or through lethal medication. It is a very controversial topic and many issues arise with it, some including ethical debates, as many who don’t agree