Assisted Suicide : The Moral And Ethical Issues

1229 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Legal and ethical issues surrounding euthanasia

When It’s Time
“I 'm not afraid of being dead, I 'm just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there”, stated by Pamela Bone during her deterioration from cancer (Bone). Giving someone the choice of ending their life was not known by many until a man of the name of Jack Kevorkian began performing this procedure. He was the first to assist others in ending their lives due to medical illnesses. His actions caused many years of conflict with the court system, forcing him to spend eight years in prison. Kevorkian’s procedures aroused national controversy over the moral and ethical issues surrounding this extremely sensitive topic. Assisted suicide is slowly becoming more prominent in the world with the discussion of the benefits of the practice, the need for the law due to the possible detrimental aspects of it, and the obligation to remain true to the morals one has set for themselves.
Assisted death can consist of either voluntary euthanasia or physical-assisted suicide. Voluntary suicide is when a doctor purposely administers drugs to force death upon a person, while physical-assisted suicide is when a doctor aids someone in committing suicide by presenting drugs for self administration by a family member or loved one (Tomlinson). This procedure is legal in Vermont, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and recently passed in California. In 2014, Brittany Maynard, a young Californian woman with terminal brain cancer became an advocate for the terminally ill and took her own life under Oregon aid-in-dying law (The Brittany Maynard Fund). Maynard states, “Every terminally ill American deserves the choice to die with dignity… Freedom from prolonged pain and suffering is a most basic human right” (Firger). Having the ability to...

... middle of paper ...

...e are gaining more knowledge on the incredible aid of the procedure, the importance of regulations, and the moral strain it places on those having to decide for themselves whether it is right or wrong. As with every controversial topic there are ways that can force one to see the good in assisted suicide and ways that can shed light on the bad. There comes a time in everyone’s life where death is knocking at their door, there is no way around that. If there’s one thing that’s true about life its that you won’t get out of it alive, its how and when that differs for everyone. Maybe instead of giving a way out we should try to foster hope instead, but there comes a time in one’s life where the hope is found in death. The light at the end of the tunnel lies at the end of suffering. And why wouldn’t one choose light if they were given the ability to overcome the darkness?

Show More
Related

  • The Debate on Whether Assisted Suicide is Ethical or Immoral

    1755 Words  | 4 Pages

    Assisted Suicide, also known as mercy killing, occurs when a physician provides the means (drugs or other agents) by which a person can take his or her own life. This assistance is one of the most debated issues today in society followed by abortion. Physicians are frequently faced with the question of whether or not assisted suicide is ethical or immoral. Although assisted suicide is currently illegal in almost all states in America, it is still often committed. Is assisted suicide ethical? Studies have found that the majority of Americans support assisted suicide. One must weigh both sides of the argument before they can decide.

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues With Physician Assisted Suicide

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ethical issues of physician-assisted suicide are both emotional and controversial, as it struggles with the issue of life and death. If you take a moment and imagine how you would choose to live your last day, it is almost guaranteed that it wouldn’t be a day spent lying in a hospital bed, suffering in pain, continuously being pumped with medicine, and living in a strangers’ body. Today we live in a culture that denies the terminally ill the right to maintain control over when and how to end their lives. Physicians-assisted suicide “is the voluntary termination of one's own life by the administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician” (Medical Definition of Physician-Assisted Suicide, 2017). Physician-assisted

    Read More

  • Case Study On Death With Dignity

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    Euthanasia is defined in our ethics book as “good death”. (MacKinnon) The chapter in our ethics book actually contains quite a bit of information about assisted suicide and the Death with Dignity Act. According to the chapter, assisted suicide would be considered as physician assisted suicide because the patient’s doctor has to prescribe the patient a prescription in order for assisted suicide to take place. The physician is helping the suicide take place, but they aren’t actually administering it. Another thing that assisted suicide would be considered as is voluntary euthanasia, because the patient is making a valid decision and they are mentally stable enough to make the decision on their own. (MacKinnon) Nowadays, doctors have worked to come up with the most ethical way of helping those who are interested in assisted suicide, the lethal pill. Suicide today, not including assisted suicide, has been increasing in drastic numbers. They don’t get to say goodbye to their families. Everything is just left exactly how it ends. If patients are considering suicide anyways, someone telling them they can or cannot have an assisted suicide will not change their thoughts. It is better to die a good death surrounded with friends and family rather than a bad, and sufferable death. This is why Maynard chose the option that she did, she wanted to go when she was ready and with her

    Read More

  • Dr. Kevorkian and the Benefits of Euthanasia

    1936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Let's mention a known name in the euthanasia field, Dr. Jack Kevorkian. If this name sounds unfamiliar, then you have been one of the lucky few people to have been living in a cave for the last nine years. Dr. Kevorkian is considered to some as a patriarch, here to serve mankind. Yet others consider him to be an evil villain, a devil's advocate so to speak. Physician assisted suicide has not mentioned in the news recently. But just as you are reading this paper and I'm typing, it's happening. This hyperlink will take you to a web page that depicts in depth how many people Dr. Kevorkian has assisted in taking their lives.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    “On October 27, 1997 Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act which allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.” (The Oregon Health Authority, 2010). Physician assisted suicide can be constructed to have reasonable laws which still protect against its abuse and the value of human life. Recent Oregon and U.K. laws show that you can craft reasonable laws that prevent abuse and still protect the value of human life. When one thinks of suicide, we think of a person who takes their own life. But in physician-assisted suicide, this is not the case. “In physician-assisted suicide, the patient self...

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Right To Die

    2383 Words  | 5 Pages

    Currently, in the United States, 12% of states including Vermont, Oregon, and California have legalized the Right to Die. This ongoing debate whether or not to assist in death with patients who have terminal illness has been and is still far from over. Before continuing, the definition of Right to Die is, “an individual who has been certified by a physician as having an illness or physical condition which can be reasonably be expected to result in death in 24 months or less after the date of the certification” (Terminally Ill Law & Legal Definition 1). With this definition, the Right to die ought to be available to any person that is determined terminally ill by a professional, upon this; with the request of Right to Die, euthanasia must be

    Read More

  • Physician Assisted Suicide ( Pas )

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine, if you will, that you have just found out you have a terminal medical condition. Doesn’t matter which one, it’s terminal. Over the 6 months you have to live you experience unmeasurable amounts of pain, and when your free of your pain the medication you’re under renders you in an impaired sense of consciousness. Towards the 4th month, you begin to believe all this suffering is pointless, you are to die anyways, why not with a little dignity. You begin to consider Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). In this essay I will explain the ethical decisions and dilemmas one may face when deciding to accept the idea of Physician-Assisted Suicide. I will also provide factual information pertaining to the subject of PAS and testimony from some that advocate for legalization of PAS. PAS is not to be taken lightly. It is the decision to end one’s life with the aid of a medical physician. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states that PAS is “Suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent.” PAS is considered, by our textbook – Doing Ethics by Lewis Vaughn, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. There are other forms of euthanasia such as non-voluntary, involuntary, and passive. This essay is focusing on PAS, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. PAS is commonly known as “Dying/Death with Dignity.” The most recent publicized case of PAS is the case of Brittany Maynard. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in California, where she lived. At the time California didn’t have Legislative right to allow Brittany the right to commit PAS so she was transported to Oregon where PAS is legal....

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    mere $35.00 for drugs in an assisted suicide,” (Economic Aspects). This is a very cost effective choice if a patient is approved. It cuts down on thousands of debt for a patient and their family. Although this option is extremely affordable, it also has its cons. Many people worry that because it is a more affordable option that doctors will try and persuade a patient into the direction of physician assisted suicide. This is not true though, a doctor has to give the patient all their options not matter the cost. Also if the patient is directed into believing physician assisted suicide is their best option, they have to go through a different doctor and convince them that physician assisted suicide is what they really want.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Assisted Suicide By Claire Andre And Manuel Velasquez

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    My article, “Assisted Suicide: A Right or Wrong” by Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez, discusses the importance of making assisted suicide something to consider when the patient is in pain and does not want to deal with the pain anymore. This article tells the very personal, detailed story of Matthew Donnelly and his time spent before he died. This article was written to open the eyes of people who are against assisted suicide to show them a case where the writers believe it would be acceptable to grant Donnelly’s wish and assisted him in ending his life. The purpose of this text is to be able to persuade the readers to see their point of view and hopefully get them to be for assisted suicide. The authors hope to achieve the well-assisted

    Read More

  • Mapping the Issue: Assisted Suicide

    1341 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the growing debate on the legality of physician assisted suicide happening in the United States,it is important for everyone to know the position that are being advocated. Having a full sense of knowledge on the conversation taking place gives people who are interested on this topic the necessary tool to draw their own conclusion on how they should feel on this particular issue. Even if someone is not interested in this topic on a cultural level, they should in a personal sense because it might affect their family or themselves one day. In a way this issue and debate affects everyone because there might be a possibility that we acquire a terminal illness, and when this happen we are either denied the option of PAS or granted that option, depending the status of it.

    Read More

  • Assisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized

    2109 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, between 1990 and 1999, a well-known advocate for physician assisted suicide, Jack Kevorkian helped 130 patients end their lives. He began the debate on assisted suicide by assisting a man with committing suicide on national television. According to Dr. Kevorkian, “The voluntary self-elimination of individual and mortally diseased or crippled lives taken collectively can only enhance the preservation of public health and welfare” (Kevorkian). In other words, Kevor...

    Read More

  • Ethics of Euthanasia

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    “In 1999, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician known for openly advertising that he would perform assisted suicide despite the fact that it was illegal, was convicted of second-degree murder” (Lee). The fact of the matter is human being...

    Read More

  • The Right to Physician Assisted Suicide

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    The right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the United States. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. Some are against it because of religious and moral reasons. Others are for it because of their compassion and respect for the dying. Physicians are also divided on the issue. They differ where they place the line that separates relief from dying--and killing. For many the main concern with assisted suicide lies with the competence of the terminally ill. Many terminally ill patients who are in the final stages of their lives have requested doctors to aid them in exercising active euthanasia. It is sad to realize that these people are in great agony and that to them the only hope of bringing that agony to a halt is through assisted suicide.When people see the word euthanasia, they see the meaning of the word in two different lights. Euthanasia for some carries a negative connotation; it is the same as murder. For others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death painlessly, or allowing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition to die by withholding extreme medical measures. But after studying both sides of the issue, a compassionate individual must conclude that competent terminal patients should be given the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce the damaging financial effects of hospital care on their families, and preserve the individual right of people to determine their own fate.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    So one is going about your business, doing your normal routine and it’s time for a doctor’s visit. You go in there, the doctor performs his regular examine and sends you home. The next phone call you get from your doctor is a tragic one. They have just diagnosed you with a disease that has a low survival rate. And so begins the medical treatments. These treatments could last weeks, months, or years, during which you will face some of the most difficult choices. Some of our family members or friends have heard these words before and unfortunately doctors can only do so much to help, and the cost of treatments are on the rise. According to the NY Times, you could be paying up to a million dollars in one year just to pay for treatments, drugs,

    Read More

  • Assisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the course of history, death and suffering have been a prominent topic of discussion among people everywhere. Scientists are constantly looking for ways to alleviate and/or cure the pain that comes with the process of dying. Treatments typically focus on pain management and quality of life, and include medication and various types of therapy. When traditional treatments are not able to eliminate pain and suffering or the promise of healing, patients will often consider euthanasia or assisted suicide. Assisted suicide occurs when a person is terminally ill and believes that their life is not worth living anymore. As a result of these thoughts and feelings, a physician or other person is enlisted to “assist” the patient in committing suicide. Typically this is done by administering a lethal overdose of a narcotic, antidepressant or sedative, or by combining drugs to create an adverse reaction and hasten the death of the sick patient. Though many people believe that assisted suicide is a quick and honorable way to end the sufferings of a person with a severe illness, it is, in fact, morally wrong. Assisted suicide is unethical because it takes away the value of a human life, it is murder, and it opens the door for coercion of the elderly and terminally ill to seek an untimely and premature death. Despite the common people’s beliefs, assisted suicide is wrong and shouldn’t be legalized.

    Read More

More about Assisted Suicide : The Moral And Ethical Issues

Open Document