The Right to Die
Brad C. Melton
Southwestern Community College When Governor Jerry Brown of the State of California recently signed the state’s “right to die” bill, officially known as ABX2-15 or the “End of Life Option Act”, it again brought to the forefront this morally and ethically controversial option for terminally ill patients that is currently allowed in only five states, but is being considered in at least two dozen other states and the District of Columbia (Monir, 2015). There are many viewpoints to this subject. From the viewpoint of the terminally ill patient, many feel it should be their right to decide if they want to continue to live in pain and/or emotional or physical suffering. To be able to die when they are prepared …show more content…
Modern medicine has proven to be effective against many illnesses, diseases, or incidents that used to kill people. Vaccinations and immunizations have saved millions of lives around the globe. Advances in neurologic and cardiovascular care have saved lives and improved the quality of life for many, many people. However, modern medicine can also keep people alive when the body is ready to die, well beyond the point where the person is able to get any enjoyment out of living. I’m not a religious person, and I don’t try to impart my beliefs or opinions on others. In my experience, I’ve developed an acute understanding of the pain and suffering a person goes through in the course of a terminal illness. There comes a time when there is no quality of life and I believe that a person who is of sound mind, has demonstrated that they understand their terminal condition, and has demonstrated that they’ve researched the pros and cons of continuing treatment versus ending their life should have that be an option for them to choose. With the proper safeguards in place, including statements from multiple physicians that concur on the terminal diagnosis, as well as the patient’s capacity to make a sound judgement on ending their life, I hope to see this option become more accessible to anyone that feels it would be in their own personal best
Brad C. Melton
Southwestern Community College When Governor Jerry Brown of the State of California recently signed the state’s “right to die” bill, officially known as ABX2-15 or the “End of Life Option Act”, it again brought to the forefront this morally and ethically controversial option for terminally ill patients that is currently allowed in only five states, but is being considered in at least two dozen other states and the District of Columbia (Monir, 2015). There are many viewpoints to this subject. From the viewpoint of the terminally ill patient, many feel it should be their right to decide if they want to continue to live in pain and/or emotional or physical suffering. To be able to die when they are prepared …show more content…
Modern medicine has proven to be effective against many illnesses, diseases, or incidents that used to kill people. Vaccinations and immunizations have saved millions of lives around the globe. Advances in neurologic and cardiovascular care have saved lives and improved the quality of life for many, many people. However, modern medicine can also keep people alive when the body is ready to die, well beyond the point where the person is able to get any enjoyment out of living. I’m not a religious person, and I don’t try to impart my beliefs or opinions on others. In my experience, I’ve developed an acute understanding of the pain and suffering a person goes through in the course of a terminal illness. There comes a time when there is no quality of life and I believe that a person who is of sound mind, has demonstrated that they understand their terminal condition, and has demonstrated that they’ve researched the pros and cons of continuing treatment versus ending their life should have that be an option for them to choose. With the proper safeguards in place, including statements from multiple physicians that concur on the terminal diagnosis, as well as the patient’s capacity to make a sound judgement on ending their life, I hope to see this option become more accessible to anyone that feels it would be in their own personal best