There are times when life takes an unforeseen route, and one is faced with an obstacle or situation that was not expected. Many people are diagnosed with terminal diseases, have accidents and are left with severe impairments, and suffer horrendous complications from medical issues. One has the right, according to law, to make medical decisions about their care and treatment options. But should one have the right to end their life? Assisted, or voluntary euthanasia, is the direct administration of a lethal agent to end one’s life at the request of…
and U.S. Law” by Stephen Hoffman is credible because he practices law in Minnesota where he also received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and his LL.M. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Hoffman’s purpose for the article is to explain the controversial and complex issues of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Hoffman explains the difference and similarity between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide as well as classifying the different types such as ‘voluntary’ and ‘nonvoluntary.’ He states the difference between active and passive euthanasia which plays a role for a physician’s duty in a patient’s death. He also explains what medical doctrine of double effect is. Then he explains the common law necessity defense and a physician’s conflicting duties that deal with euthanasia. Later in the article, he explains the legal doctrines of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and The Netherlands and states in North America such as Oregon, Washington, and…
Is assisting a loved one to die morally acceptable or is it murder? This essay will look at both sides of this argument and leave the reader to decide which side they more agree with. The main article I will be looking at is the one by Susan M. Wolf and the death of her sick father. There are two sides to this situation. One group of people feel that it is morally and lawfully wrong to help in the death of any person, regardless of who they are and believe the culprit to be just as guilty as a murderer. Others will argue that it is only helping to speed up a process that is inevitably coming and helping a person to quit the pain is human nature showing sympathy and courage. In this essay, I will be looking at both sides of this argument and leave it to the reader to decide which argument he believes to be more reasonable.…
Supporters of assisted suicide believe that this act benefit terminally ill patients by relieving their suffering. This is probably one of the reasons why Netherlands court determined that a physician is allowed to prevent severe and irreversible suffering, even if it reduces patient’s life (Bosshard et al, 2002). The act of assisted suicide or active euthanasia is allowed in Netherlands, Switzerland and Oregon under different conditions and legislations. The situation can be seen differently in places, where by moral and legal discourse; assisted suicide is interpreted as the freedom or right of the individual as in Switzerland and some states of US. From the ethical perspective, patient’s choice of suicide represents an expression of self- determination and while exercising self- determination people take responsibility of their lives and for the kind of person they become. They have a right to refuse the life- sustaining treatment if they don’t want to suffer anymore and according to law, physicians must respect their decisions to forgo life- sustaining treatment that are capable of making their end of life decisions. By refusing life- sustaining treatment, terminally ill people know that they are going to die soon and in order to avoid suffering or pain they ask physicians for assistance to end their…
The debate for or against assisted suicide finds its origins based in religious, political and social beliefs and viewpoints. Those who support the practice feel that the terminally ill have every right to choose to end their lives in order to avoid pain and suffering. Additionally they feel that current medical treatments for the terminally ill leave them with no alternative but to endure undo pain and suffering, prolonging a life that will end, regardless of medical practice and jurisprudence. Assisted suicide provides quality of life because it affords one the opportunity to plan and prepare for their eventual death, taking into account their needs as well as…
Assisted suicide is the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, affected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose. I am neither for nor against because I see the pros and cons on this topic, which puts me on the fence. Although if I had to choose a side I would say I am more leaning towards being for assisted suicide. There are times where assisted suicide is acceptable and there are times where it is not. All in all, assisted suicide depends on the situation when deciding if you are for or against the issue.…
For an unaffected, healthy individual, with death painted as a villain by his subconscious, it is easy to raise a gavel against the legalization of assisted suicide. It is easy for this individual to deny the right to end one’s suffering by citing a variety of aged, insignificant arguments like ancient oaths and biased religious teachings, all in defense of the instinct of his subconscious. However, the debate over assisted suicide is greater than this, and must be considered much more deliberately and meticulously. When one considers justice, autonomy, compassion, and all other necessary factors in the modern assisted suicide debate, it is clear that the practice of physician-assisted suicide is merciful and necessary, and must be a provided right to suffering individuals near the…
In recent years, assisted suicide has become a rather controversial topic regarding whether or not a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. While some are against it due to moral beliefs, others support it as a result of their respect for those suffering. However, physicians remain divided on the issue, being torn on the difference between relief from dying and murder. After analyzing the issue in depth, it is clear that terminally ill patients should be granted the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce financial burdens placed upon their families, and preserve the right of individuals to determine their own fate when facing death.…
often labeled compassionate, according to the columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Joni Eareckson Tada, legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia is really a deadly double standard for those with severe disabilities, both conditions that are labeled terminal and those that are not. She seems to be of the opinion that euthanasia should never be considered an option no matter how severe or subjective suffering the person is facing. In the article, Tada claims that legalization of euthanasia, “sends a clear message that a person with a disability may not have a life worth living” (1). She touches on euthanasia in The Nethlands and Belguium . She stands for a powerful example of a person with this depilating condition, in this case quadriplegia, can accomplish in spite of her condition. However this is somewhat of a bias perspective because it implies that she has put a measure on the subjective pain this condition and similar to it entails. There should be certain conditions set in order to qualify for euthanasia so that it is an option for people who want it but we can also make a system to prevent people from misusing it. We were granted free will which includes the right to end our life when we chose.…
Assisted suicide, it’s a very controversial topic. Some people are for it and many more are against it as it pushes the moral boundaries of right and wrong. The idea of assisted suicide, (ending a life by one’s choice) is not acceptable in many cultures, religions or personal beliefs, but is it any different that euthanizing an animal because that animal is terminally ill or in excruciating pain with no available treatment? How or why isn’t that seen as immoral and wrong? Is it any different than a person who is in pain suffering from a terminal illness, or in incurable and unmanageable pain from end stage diseases? End stage diseases such as cancer are very painful and no amount of pain medicine to manage pain can bring relief. In my opinion, just as many other choices we as humans are allowed to make, assisted suicide should be one.…
The Situation being argued is Assisted Suicide, this practice involves helping a person who is hopelessly ill to end his or her own life. Some People support it because it is a persons right to end their life using a Physicians grant and supervision . Others are opposed because it is said that a doctors will is to heal and never harm . Because people have been prosecuted for assisting with suicide, Government should protect a person's right to die with protective legislative.Thirty-four states of the United States, including Washington and Oregon,assisted suicide is illegal.The current debate over physician-assisted suicide involves who will have the power to control the dying process,physicians or the patients.…
Imagine yourself trapped in your own useless body life sentenced to a wheelchair or even your bed, fed with large quantities of medication and painkillers. Your body is no longer responding but your mind is. All you have left is your rational thoughts. If you are in that position you only have few options. The first one is to live your life the way it is, but for some people this is not an option. Even though suicide is taboo in our society, it is a reality for the people trapped in this vegetative state. These dark thoughts can’t be obtained without the assistance of someone else. The only problem with this option is that in Canada, it is illegal to participate in any way in an assisted suicide and can send you to jail for a long time. The laws have to change.…
Did you know that about 9% of all deaths were a result of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia in 1990? And based on a recent study, 57% of physicians practicing today have received a request for physician-assisted suicide in some form or another?…
Assisted suicide is the best option for the terminally ill people that want to put an end to their suffering. Terminal ill patients should be allowed to request assisted suicide to end their life in a painless, humane, and cheaper way.…
There probably isn’t one person that can say that they haven’t watched somebody they love in some way suffer from and ultimately die from some sort of unfortunate disease. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in the United States. Physician assisted suicide is defined as suicide committed by a terminally ill person with help from another person. This subject causes many controversies of ethical and moral issues. Some of these issues are that it violates the doctors Hippocratic Oath, suicide is ruled wrong in many religions, and some even say it degrades the value of human life. However, physician assisted suicide should be legalized because it offers terminally ill people an opportunity for a peaceful death and allows a terminally ill patient to die with dignity.…