Physician Assisted Suicide Thesis

Life, liberty, and property. These are the three natural rights John Locke believed all human beings are born with. However, does the right to life also entail the right to death? In the past two decades, physician-assisted suicide has become an increasingly divisive topic both in America and around the world. Physician-assisted suicide consists of a patient receiving a prescription for a lethal medication from his or her doctor. Both proponents and detractors of physician-assisted suicide have convincing arguments, but one side stands out more than the other in their argument. While critics claim that physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized due to an inability to properly regulate and protect ill patients’ interests, properly enforced
This can be in the form of legislation made to fit a specific need in the population. However, not all laws and policies produce outcomes palatable to each individual American citizen. Unfortunately, there are laws and policies whose outcomes deviate from what was initially intended. One of the intended outcomes of my public policy proposal is to give all terminally ill and suffering American citizens the right to end their lives on their own terms, rather than under the control of an incurable illness. The other primary intended outcome of my proposal is to give the families of ailing patients the sense of peace and resolve that they have been unable to attain for the duration of their loved one’s illness. No family should have to watch their loved one die in a painful and slow manner. Despite the numerous benefits associated with my public policy proposal, there are also a few unintended consequences that may occur due to the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. While there would be very strict regulations attached to my policy, like any piece of legislation, it is impossible to control the human element. That is, there will always be a chance that a misguided and self-interested doctor or family member will go against the wishes of the ailing patient, terminating a patient’s life against their will. In addition to this, due to the requirement that patients seeking physician-assisted suicide pursue all palliative care techniques prior to receiving assistance in dying, there is a chance of hospitals and hospice centers across America becoming overcrowded. However, common sense regulations on a doctor’s ability to prescribe life-ending medication will provide innumerable benefits to the palliative care industry, making such a field more efficient in the