Exemplification Essay: People Have a Right to Die

What’s that you say Doctor? I’ve got cancer… That doesn’t sound good, and by the way that you’re telling me, it’s probably worse than that. Well, I knew that this day was coming… Doctor? I don’t know why, but I’m not as upset by this news as I thought I would be – but I do know one thing, I don’t want it to hurt.

What will “Fred” choose to do? What is Fred allowed to do? Fred had his mind wrapped around the idea of his death years ago, but who can be completely ready for the moment when we hear the news that our life will be over soon? In our existence, what greater event besides birth can compete with death? Most of us have pondered the circumstances of our own death, what we’d do, and how we would deal with it. As we grow older, the weight of these musings become more significant, and the plans become more detailed, serious, or urgent. Fred has given a great deal of thought to the choices to be made before this monumental event arrives, and maybe this is why he seems so at peace with his demise. He is 83 years old, and has made all of the preparations for his death. He’s kept his will in order. His financial papers are in the hands of a trusted power of attorney. His funeral is paid for. He has a medical power of attorney and a doctor that fully understands his final wishes and has documented them… including a death with dignity arrangement.

Fred has a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, and he watched his mother waste away in body and mind. This was heart-breaking for all who witnessed her lingering and emotionally agonizing death, and he was surprised to learn that his end would be different. However, this changed nothing, his plans remained in place, and nothing would be altered.

As the cancer pr...

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...or who qualifies to unravel its mysteries.

And what of those who possess no religious affiliations of any kind? As a minority, their voices are often dismissed or ignored, and because they are by definition unaffiliated with any group, they have even less ability to have their opinions heard or taken seriously.

And then, there is Fred. The man who simply wishes to be left in peace at a time when peace is the only goal left to achieve. He has spent a lifetime writing the rulebook of for his life, and envisioning this day, had turned to the last page. Who is arrogant enough to say what Fred understands about his own life? Among the many interpretations of God’s will, should Fred’s be no less valued than anyone else’s? I say, leave the man to find his final pathway to peace. In the vast eternity of death, there must be plenty of room for spirits to soar.