Analysis of "Scared to Death of Dying", Article by Herbert Hendin
Jose Delgado
February 24, 1997
English 102
Mr. Vegh
The background for this work is that the existing conflict over
legalizing assisted suicides and euthanasia could bring our values down and
society apart. The problem is not legalizing or opposing to it, the real
problem is to find a way to care for the terminally ill. We have the
responsibility to help the terminally ill die in a decent way not killing them.
If we don't have a policy or rule against this we are permitting doctors, like
Jack Kevorkian, to become famous for killing people. The claim for this work is
that assisted suicides and euthanasia should be illegal.
The Oregon Law would allow people to die quicker and without dignity.
We can see that this is true in the story of the 30 year-old man that has
leukemia. He had a 25 percent chance of survival if he was medically treated;
if not he was given a few months to live. When told this, the man wanted to
suicide. At first he was scared but after talking with the doctor he decided to
take medical treatment and be closer to his family in his final days. If this
had happened under the Oregon Law, he would have asked a doctor to assist him in
suicide and the doctor would have assisted him without any problem since he had
no mental illness.
Doctors can cause or hastened death without the patient's request. This
can be seen in the Netherlands were a 30 year-old man who was H.I.V.-positive,
but had no symptoms and may not develop them for years, was helped to die.
Probably the doctors didn't explain that even if he had a terminal disease he
could enjoy the rest of his life with his family and friend that were about to
lose him.
Doctors aren't trained to do this in medical school and the public
doesn't know better. This is because doctors aren' t trained properly in the
relief of pain and discomfort in terminally ill patients. And time should be
devoted in medical schools... [continues]
Jose Delgado
February 24, 1997
English 102
Mr. Vegh
The background for this work is that the existing conflict over
legalizing assisted suicides and euthanasia could bring our values down and
society apart. The problem is not legalizing or opposing to it, the real
problem is to find a way to care for the terminally ill. We have the
responsibility to help the terminally ill die in a decent way not killing them.
If we don't have a policy or rule against this we are permitting doctors, like
Jack Kevorkian, to become famous for killing people. The claim for this work is
that assisted suicides and euthanasia should be illegal.
The Oregon Law would allow people to die quicker and without dignity.
We can see that this is true in the story of the 30 year-old man that has
leukemia. He had a 25 percent chance of survival if he was medically treated;
if not he was given a few months to live. When told this, the man wanted to
suicide. At first he was scared but after talking with the doctor he decided to
take medical treatment and be closer to his family in his final days. If this
had happened under the Oregon Law, he would have asked a doctor to assist him in
suicide and the doctor would have assisted him without any problem since he had
no mental illness.
Doctors can cause or hastened death without the patient's request. This
can be seen in the Netherlands were a 30 year-old man who was H.I.V.-positive,
but had no symptoms and may not develop them for years, was helped to die.
Probably the doctors didn't explain that even if he had a terminal disease he
could enjoy the rest of his life with his family and friend that were about to
lose him.
Doctors aren't trained to do this in medical school and the public
doesn't know better. This is because doctors aren' t trained properly in the
relief of pain and discomfort in terminally ill patients. And time should be
devoted in medical schools... [continues]
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