Pros And Cons Of The Right To Die Law

Having the right to die is a very controversial and popular topic. It is so popular that it is even currently under debate. Having the right to die means that a terminally ill or chronically in pain patient would have the choice to medically end their life by way of medication or injection. Having the right to die can also mean choosing to be taken off machines that are keeping a person alive or it can mean being given a lethal concoction of medication in order to end a life. There are many different ways that right to die can be utilized. The basic procedures are simple in principle: Doctors certify that the patient qualifies under the law, by virtue of fulfilling the stated criteria then after appropriate waiting periods, the physician writes a prescription for life-ending chemicals. The laws do not specify how and when the patient should take the chemicals intended to bring immediate death, so that part of the process is left in the hands of the individuals(2007, January 1).

Imagine laying in a hospital bed living everyday in extreme pain with no hope of getting better. This scenario explains what many people go through everyday, which is a living with a terminal illness. M. Lee, a science historian, and Alexander Stingl a sociologist, define terminal illness as “an illness from which the patient is not expected to recover even with treatment. As the illness progresses death is inevitable” (1). There are not many options for the terminally ill besides dying a slow and painful death, but assisted suicide could be best option for these patients. Assisted suicide is “any case in which a doctor gives a patient (usually someone with a terminal illness) the means to carry out their own suicide by using a lethal dose of medication” (Lee and Stingl 1). Some feel that assisted suicide is unnecessary because it is too great of a controversy and will only cause problems in society. However, assisted suicide should be legal in the United States as long as there are strict regulations to accompany it.

Imagine a cancer patient on a short rode to death. The pain this patient is experiencing is unreal and unimaginable to most. The pain medicine that can be used does little to take the agony away. The doctors can put the patient in an induced coma, but what kind of living is that? It is not living. The patient does not want to go on. Is it so wrong to ask for a way out? With less than six months to live, the patient’s hope is gone. Many argue that euthanasia is not ethical, but is it really ethical to let someone live in constant, horrifying pain and agony? While in some cases having the right to die might result in patients giving up on life, physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in all fifty states for terminally ill patients with worsening or unbearable pain.

Who dictates how you live your life? How does one define life and when that life should end? If you become terminally ill, would you like the choice to choose how your life ends? In the United States, assisted suicide, is a highly-debated issue. On one side, there are many in support of allowing a person the right to end their life with dignity at the time of their choosing. While others believe, it is a moral right to sustain life and leave a person’s exit from this world to a higher power. The two opposing viewpoints have both compassionate reasons and disadvantages; nevertheless, a person’s human rights as an individual are the most important aspect to uphold.

Many consider suicide primarily because they are convinced they are burdens on their families and society. Therefore, if assisting suicide for those with terminal illness is legalizied , the so called right to die is very likely in practice to become a “duty to die”. Many consider the law to be the teacher of what is right and proper, and such a codification would be manipulated by the healthcare industry, and by those who regard life as worthless

The process of assisted suicide, or physician-assisted death, is a hotly debated topic that still remains at the forefront of many national discussions today. Assisted suicide can be described as the suicide of patient by a physician-prescribed dose of legal drugs. The reason that this topic is so widely debated is that it infringes on several moral and religious values that many people in the United States have. But, regardless of the way that people feel, a person’s right to live is guaranteed to them in the United States Constitution, and this should extend to the right to end their own life as well. The reasons that assisted suicide should be legalized in all states is because it can ease not only the suffering of the individual, but the financial burden on the family that is supporting him/her. Regardless of opposing claims, assisted suicide should be an option for all terminally ill patients.

On June 9, California becomes the fifth state in the US to legalized Death with Dignity (“Death with Dignity Acts - States That Allow Assisted Death”). Death is always a part of life which we will experience some day. The important thing is not only to prolong the quantity of life but also to live a good quality of life. Death with Dignity gives us the freedom of choice. Death with dignity also reduces the suffering for terminally ill patients and their family. At the end, when we need to face death, we could have the choice to die in peace. Death with Dignity should be legal in every state in the

Right to die issues are important to American society because as the as population grows older more people are going to encounter the issue that cannot choose to end their life prematurely, unless the live in state that allows physician assisted suicide which all most all do not, but must instead suffer until they finally perish. The first landmark case involving the right to die was In Re Quinlan 70 N.J. 10 (1976), In Re means in the matter of. The importance of this case was to establish whether medical personnel that remove a life supporting ventilator, with the expectation that the patient would not be able to continue breathing on their own, would result in said medical personnel being charge with the crime of homicide. Karen Quinlan was a 21 year old women that had become

Thesis Statement: Many states do not allow for assisted suicides of terminally ill patients. I reason with the advances in medical science this should be an option for all terminally ill patients. Main Supportive Points: The wonders of modern medicine have come at a price not only are healthy people living longer lives, but the terminally ill patients are living longer (Coombs, 2017).

Another argument against the right to die is the fact that a specific illness does not define a human. There is more to mankind than simply what is wrong with them. An example of this is a sufferer of AIDS. The disease itself does not mean the sufferer is a deviant. The morality of the person is not defined by a disease they live with. Illness is not what makes a person who they are, character does that. Therefore it cannot be inferred about what will happen with their life. This is why it would be wrong for anyone to kill themselves for the sake of an illness. Simply, the reason for homicide due to illness is unjustified (Arkes). For a person to use a patient’s illness as a reason to die solely based on the illness, it does a disservice to

Today, voluntary euthanasia is getting closer to being legalized in more than just one state in the United States. “‘Voluntary’ euthanasia means that the act of putting the person to death is the end result of the person’s own free will” (Bender 19). “ Voluntary euthanasia is an area worthy of our serious consideration, since it would allow patients who have exhausted all other reasonable options to choose death rather than continue suffering” (Bender 19). The question of whether or not voluntary euthanasia should be legalized is a major debate that has been around for years. Because the issue of whether people should have the right to choose how they want to live or die is so complex. With the advances in technology today we have made

Each person has the right to control his or her body and life, and if they happen to be terminally ill, the right to choose when and how they die should be entitled to them. For most patients, they have illnesses that make them incapable of moving, or communicating properly. Many can’t participate in pleasurable activities, and feel undignified. They live each never-ending day in agony, only to wait for the next, knowing that each second leads them closer to their escape from suffering. By refusing people the “right” to end their own lives, we’re increasing that pain and indignity to an awful extent.

     Once having a mere glimpse into the lives of the terminally ill or disabled, some are able to understand their plight; but usually most are not. In most cases, these people are able to take what they've been given and deal with it. However, in some cases, some simply can not tolerate their lives as they are. They feel that the only solution to their problem is to end their lives. Unfortunately, in some cases, the terminally ill or disabled are not capable of accomplishing this task by themselves, and are left trapped in a life that they do not want. In these cases, when one wishes to end his life and is terminally ill, disabled, or otherwise unable to do so independently, he should have the right to die by assisted suicide. Although most people that are terminally ill or disabled do not wish to end their lives, there are still those few who do. While examining the issue of assisted suicide, three facets of the controversy must be considered: the political, the moral, and the human or compassionate views. By supporting their decision, we support their right to choose and decide what they want to do with their bodies and their lives, we do not

Currently, there are patients with severe illnesses and extreme physical incapacitations who believe that death is a far better option than living. As a result, the right to die has been slowly paving the way for individuals to legally cause their own deaths. Free will dictates that humans have mastery of their thoughts, actions and bodies. Democratic societies agree with the logic of free will, so long as individual 's respect the laws stated by society. If so, shouldn 't people be within their right to choose their time of death? In the following essay, we will explore the complexities of choosing death over life. If death is chosen, do the benefits outweigh the price of dying?

In the United States today, there is a considerable amount of debate of whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. Many oppose physician-assisted suicide because they view it to be morally and ethically wrong. Similarly, many support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide because they believe human beings have the right to determine when and how they die. Personally, I believe human beings have the right to determine when they die and that the government should not keep individuals who are in extreme pain and only have a few months to live from ending their life with dignity. Through this paper, I am going to explore the many sides of physician-assisted suicide.