Assisted Suicide

1356 Words3 Pages

The majority of people in the world probably don’t like to think about their own death, for good reasons I’d imagine. As adults, we are aware that we’ll one day have to face our own mortality. Nobody lives forever. For millions of people diagnosed with terminal illnesses each year, facing your mortality can come much sooner than expected. These people struggle to accept the diagnosis they have been given, many fight their illness in whichever ways they can for as long as possible, and likely suffer with much pain -- physically, emotionally, and mentally. The thing all of these people have in common is how their illness ends. The word “terminal”, as I’m sure you are aware, means the disease is likely incurable and will ultimately lead to the death of the patient. What can be different however, is how and when the end finally comes. Some choose to end their life before the illness takes it away. Currently, assisted suicide is legal in at least four countries and four US States (“Vermont Becomes 4th State to Approve Doctor-assisted Suicide Law“).
Assisted suicide first gained massive public attention in the 1990’s with Jack Kevorkian, also known as “Doctor Death”. Kevorkian was a Michigan doctor who helped euthanize over 100 people between 1990 and 1998 before his arrest in 1999. Most of the people that Kevorkian helped were terminally ill, and they were given a dose of barbiturates intravenously or ended their life by carbon monoxide poisoning with a mask. The patient was instructed to push a button or flip a switch to begin the euthanasia process themselves. Upon his arrest, Kevorkian had both supporters and critics. Some critics saw him as a monster, helping to prematurely end the life of another human being. Suppo...

... middle of paper ...

... should be made with the sufferer and situation in mind.
In conclusion, I believe that physician-assisted suicide is a compassionate choice for those suffering with a terminal illness. We should not prolong the suffering of the ill just for our own benefit, especially when the outcome of the situation is the same regardless. I think that if people wish to end their life via assisted suicide when they are terminally ill then we should respect those wishes and they should have the right to do so.

Works Cited

"PressTV - Vermont Becomes 4th State to Approve." PressTV.com. PressTV, 21 May 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Hensley, Scott. "Americans Support Physician-Assisted Suicide." NPR. NPR, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
The Suicide Tourist. Dir. John Zaritsky. CTV Television Network, 2007. Web. Pbs.org.
Public Broadcasting Service, 3 Mar. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

Open Document