Every person should have the right to decide what they do with their own body. This is a right most Americans have, however, some citizens suffering from terminal conditions have a certain right taken away from them. This right is the right to die. There is no punishment for suicide in any of the 50 states, but in 45 states it is illegal to aid a person in their death. These people are suffering and because of their handicaps they are unable to end their lives on their own. Every state should legalize assisted suicide so that no one is forced to suffer more that they choose. The next few paragraphs will discuss what assisted suicide is, where assisted suicide is legal, why people are opposed to it, and why assisted suicide should be legalized.
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This makes an already emotional time even more confusing. Patients who are terminally ill, sometimes do not want to experience all the excruciating pain they would have to endure. Instead of these people being able to look forward to happier, less painful days, they only can look forward to more pain as their health deteriorates. A lot of people want to be able to leave the world on their own terms, peacefully, surrounded by those they love. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, and Vermont. Oregon has had the Death with Dignity Act in place since 1997. In order for someone to be eligible they must be 18 years or older, a resident of Oregon, capable of making decisions on their own, and have an illness that will lead to death within the next six months. Oregon also has rules in place when it comes to the physician; the physician must be licensed in the same state as the patient, they must make a diagnosis that their patient has a terminal illness and must consult with another physician, and the physician must determine if the patient’s judgement is impaired. …show more content…
The people of society who oppose the idea of death with dignity continually argue that their is a moral duty that must be upheld. These people believe that life should be protected and preserved at all times, so they argue that by assisting in terminated one’s death that society is violating the duty to respect all human life. But the question is, are they really preserving life if these people are constantly suffering and deteriorating? Then there are also other people who resist against the idea of physician assisted suicide because they claim that society must oppose any legislation that could pose as a threat to the lives of the innocent. These people think that by legalizing assisted suicide it could cause people to begin to urge the death of anyone they see as worthless or undesirable. They worry that the law could spiral into families who feel burdened to persuade patients to voluntarily ask for death. These people fear that once society begins to devalue one life, then it will devalue all. However they do not take into account all the regulations that will take place, when these laws are passed. The states that have laws allowing death with dignity have many regulations in place to keep any of the opposing views worries from coming true. Patients must verbally ask for
This makes an already emotional time even more confusing. Patients who are terminally ill, sometimes do not want to experience all the excruciating pain they would have to endure. Instead of these people being able to look forward to happier, less painful days, they only can look forward to more pain as their health deteriorates. A lot of people want to be able to leave the world on their own terms, peacefully, surrounded by those they love. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, and Vermont. Oregon has had the Death with Dignity Act in place since 1997. In order for someone to be eligible they must be 18 years or older, a resident of Oregon, capable of making decisions on their own, and have an illness that will lead to death within the next six months. Oregon also has rules in place when it comes to the physician; the physician must be licensed in the same state as the patient, they must make a diagnosis that their patient has a terminal illness and must consult with another physician, and the physician must determine if the patient’s judgement is impaired. …show more content…
The people of society who oppose the idea of death with dignity continually argue that their is a moral duty that must be upheld. These people believe that life should be protected and preserved at all times, so they argue that by assisting in terminated one’s death that society is violating the duty to respect all human life. But the question is, are they really preserving life if these people are constantly suffering and deteriorating? Then there are also other people who resist against the idea of physician assisted suicide because they claim that society must oppose any legislation that could pose as a threat to the lives of the innocent. These people think that by legalizing assisted suicide it could cause people to begin to urge the death of anyone they see as worthless or undesirable. They worry that the law could spiral into families who feel burdened to persuade patients to voluntarily ask for death. These people fear that once society begins to devalue one life, then it will devalue all. However they do not take into account all the regulations that will take place, when these laws are passed. The states that have laws allowing death with dignity have many regulations in place to keep any of the opposing views worries from coming true. Patients must verbally ask for