The Controversial Issue Of DoctorAssisted Suicide Essay

, Research Paper

The Controversial Issue of Doctor-Assisted Suicide

Imagine youu have just found out you are going to die within three months.

Recently the questions have been changed form, “What am I going to do with the

rest of my life?” to “When should I kill myself”? With painful and crippling

diseases such as AIDS and cancer, and Alzheimers along with doctors such as Dr.

Kavorkian, some people are choosing death over life. Doctor assisted suicide

has been a very controversial subject in the past few years. Some states such

as Oregon have passed laws which allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to

patients who have less then six months to live.(Henin 1) Other state have taken

the opposite side. I believe that if you are able to reason and think

rationally you should decide whether to live or dir. If not the people who know

you best should make the decision.

If you are ever in a situation where you now you wil soon die the choice

whether or not to kill youself should be your own. I believe that

doctorassisted suicide should not be controlled by the government, but should be

apersonal choice based on the individual. Many people could not imagine living

in a hospital bed for the remainder of their lives. They would rather die with

dignity than live out the rest of their lives depandant on others. The

government thinks that they know what is best for the people. If everyone is

an individuall, how can the government know what is best for everyone. I feel

that people shold make up thir own minds about what is best for them. Joshua

Haney worote an article on assisted suicide. He says, “Everyday we make choices

that decide our fate and future. We choose where we work, what we eat and drink,

etc. This is just one more choice that we are making. I we take away this

right from people we are taking steps towards taking away other rights. Would

it be morally right to allow that person to suffer in pain in anguish through

some terminal illness?”(Haney2) I completely agree with him. What rights will

they take away next?

One problem people fae when they are seriously ill is the lack of money.

There always weems to be one more bill waiting to be paid. They need money to

buy prescription drugs, pay for the doctor appointments, tests, and in some

cases lenghty hospital stays. Some insurance companies will refuse to pay for

certain test, or drugs, or even refuse treatment altogether.

Many patients can’t aford to pay for these treatments, and even if they

coulld, most of the treatments only prolong life for a short amount fof time.

There is also no guarantee that the quality of life during these treatments

woulld be wourk the time and money. No one wants to die in debt and leave their

families with nothing but medical bills. If you don’t wish to continue living

in pain, why should you have to pay for treatment that you don’t want?

When someone is sicsk it is hard on the whole family. When someone is

dying they not only have to deal with their own pain and suffering, both

physically and mentally but also with the suffering that their friends and

family are going through. They might begin to feel like a burden, and may also

begin to feel guilty and depressed. Because of this and many other reasons some

may choose to die.

I am not saying that suicide id right for everyone, but I do think it

should be an option when someone is suffering from aphysical disease that has

notcure, or hopes of a cure in the near future. I feel that it should be

apersonal decision, based on the wishes of the individual. The government and

countless numbers of protesters should not claim to know what is right for

everyone. They say it is inhimane for doctors to assist in si suicide, but I

have to agree with A. Wilkie Kushner, who write,s “We all di. Death is a part

of life. Death is inevitable. Why should each of us not have the right to

choose when and how we did; and if we are in no position to do so, why shoulld

those who know us best not be allowed to help? Why is it considered acceptable

for sospital staff to indefinitely postpone death with machines and tubes and

potent toxic pharmaceuticals, and not to help people go easily when their time

has come? Wher is the humanity in all this? (Kushner 3)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Haney, Joshua, “RE: Assisted Suicide,”

www.yahoo.com 4/16/96

A. Wilkie Kushner, MB-Reprinted from Letters to the Editor, Gobe & Mail

www.yahoo.com

Hendin, Herbert, MD, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Oregon Tries the Dutch

Way,

Wellness Web, The Patient’s Network, www.yahoo.com