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Weeds vs. Flowers

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Weeds vs. Flowers
Corie Kellar
MWF 11-11:50
The Views of Assisted Suicide When thinking about assisted suicide, I think about the conditions that these people are in that make them see that decision as the best one. This leads me to ask, would it ever be acceptable to purposefully administer lethal means to another so that they may terminate their life to end pain and suffering? I believe that any individual has the right to say what they want for the betterment of themselves. The differences of beliefs are very understandable from the doctor’s point of view, to the patient’s point of view, but when it comes down to the person that is really dealing with the suffering and the pain, I think that they should be able to determine that physician-assisted suicide is their best alternative. Dr. Jack Kevorkian is a firm believer in physician-assisted suicide, giving his patients the dignity and respect that they deserved in making this last major decision for their life and how they wanted to end it. His patients thought of him as a hero because he aided them in their major time of need, and they felt very comfortable with him because they didn’t have to worry about feeling awkward when bringing up this method of help. The family members of Kevorkian’s patients were ultimately happy that he provided such ease to their loved ones, and showed nothing but care and respect for those individuals. This decision is a heavy burden to bear because of the feelings that the majority of people feel is wrong and immoral. Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of second degree murder in 1999 because of assistance with euthanizing one of his patients Thomas Youk, who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1998. He was provided with financial support by an organization called “The Hemlock Society” for his lawsuit, and they also referred patients to him for their aid in finding a caring physician that would end their suffering. Stemming from the publicity of Kevorkian’s trials, the issues of


Bibliography: Dority, Barbara. “The ultimate civil liberty”. The Humanist July-Aug. 1997: 16+. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. “Introduction to Problems of Death: Opposing Viewpoints”. Problems with Death. Ed. David A. Becker. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. Johnston, Brian. “Basic Facts on Assisted Suicide”. Californiaprofile.org, 2009. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. Manning, Michael. “Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Killing or Caring”. Paulist Press, 1998: 79. Print. Paterson, Craig. “Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: A Natural Law Ethics Approach”. Ashgate Publishing Company, 1965: 23. Print. Rosenfeld, Barry. “Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die: The Interface of Social Science, Public Policy, And Medical Ethics”. American Psychological Association, 2004: 112-113. Print. Woodman, Sue. “Last Rights: The Struggle Over The Right To Die”. Plenum Publishing Corporation, 1998: 19. Print.
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