Physician-assisted Suicide is Murder

3583 Words8 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: moral implications of euthanasia

Jeanette Hall once had the desire to die; a desire so strong, she even asked her doctor for help. Jeanette lives in Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal. On July 17, 2000, Jeanette was rushed to the Portland hospital only to be given a maximum time of survival: six months. She had been diagnosed with an inoperable form of colon cancer. Jeanette had a fear of losing her job, not being able to care for her loved ones, paying hospital bills, and suffering. It was her choice to die and was prepared to reject chemotherapy and radiation, but thankfully, Jeanette’s doctor, Dr. Kenneth Stevens, encouraged her to fight. Jeanette claims, “If he [Dr. Stevens] believed in physician-assisted suicide, I would not be here 13 years later to thank him, I would be dead” (Hall 1). Today, Jeanette is alive, happy, and healthy and speaks out against legalization, but because of the current legalization of physician-assisted suicide, she barely survived.

Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are similar in the fact that they end lives of terminally ill patients, but they vary on where they are legalized. In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutionally protected right to physician-assisted suicide but left it to the individual states to regulate physician-assisted death (Ardelt 1). Although states still have the option to legalize assisted suicide, the federal government has made euthanasia illegal in every state. Euthanasia is only legal in Belgium and the Netherlands (Somerville 1). Euthanasia refers to the practice of ending the life of another person to relieve pain and suffering and is usually performed by a doctor. Legal in Montana, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington to terminal adults, physician-assisted su...

... middle of paper ...

...s, 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

Rockett, Barbara. "Physician-assisted Suicide "in Direct Conflict" with Doctor's Role. "National Rights To Life News. National Rights to Life News, 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Saad, Lydia. "U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It's Described." U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It's Described. Gallup, 29 May 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Somerville, Margaret. "What Would We Lose by Legalising Euthanasia?" ABC.net. American Proadcasting Corporation, 24 May 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

"Sunday Dialogue: Choosing How We Die." The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

Swarte, Nikki B. "Effects of Euthanasia on the Bereaved Family and Friends: A Cross Sectional Study." Home. BMJ, 17 June 2003. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

"The Impact of Euthanasia on Society." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • 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 Of Euthanasia

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death is something almost everyone fears, but the people that aren’t afraid are the ones suffering from terminal disease and other life-threatening illness. Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide are very serious topics in the medical community, as supporters to legalization argue that it’s the right of the person to live or die, while on the other side opponents argue legalizing it me1ans that doctors will have the ability to kill patients and that the government approves it. Euthanasia is legal in multiple countries including Netherlands, Switzerland, and Canada. Physician assisted suicide is legal in a lot of countries including; Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. Euthanasia is widely conversed in the world and has been since it was first

    Read More

  • Should Physcian-Assisted Suicide be Legal

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although widely condoned around the world, only one nation, the Netherlands has made physician assisted suicide legal. Five states tried Washington in 1991, California in 1992, Michigan in 1998,and main in 2000, Oregon in 1994 approved the “Death with Dignity Act” it won 51 percent to 49 percent. 91 people committed suicide with the aid of a physician in the first four years the law was in effect.

    Read More

  • Assisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized

    2109 Words  | 5 Pages

    Only people who have witnessed or experienced a terminal illness know how much it impacts a person’s life and their families. According to the Cancer Facts and Figures, in 2015, there was an estimate of 1,658,370 people who were diagnosed with cancer and 589,430 of those diagnosed with cancer had died (American Cancer Society). Medication evolves every day, yet there is little to do for cancer patients. They can go through various treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, however some patients these treatments are unbearable. In four states, physician assisted suicide is legal, many other states are debating on the issue at hand. States that have not legalized assisted suicide is due to it being considered murder and can result in imprisonment and doctor license revoked. There has been recent debates involving whether or not physician assisted suicide should be legalized because it is considered murder. Legalizing assisted suicide does not only provide an option to terminally ill patients, but gives others an option. Although some argue that physician assisted suicide should not be legalized, proponents argue that physician assisted suicide should allow options for the patients that are not suffering.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Euthanasia

    1512 Words  | 4 Pages

    Physician assisted suicide is commonly known as Statutory euthanasia. It is when a terminally ill patient requests a physician to prescribe them a lethal pill, which they can choose to take at any time they feel it is right to hasten their death.. Statutory euthanasia is legal in three states: Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. The terminally ill are the only ones who should

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography: An Analysis Of Legalizing Euthanasia

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    Euthanasia is debated globally about whether or not it should be illegal or become legalized. Some will say that it is wrong, that it is taking the life of a human being; however, others will say that it is just taking the life of a human who is already terminally ill, and suffering. Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Columbia, and Luxemburg. Assisted suicide; which is another form of euthanasia is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Canada, and in some parts of the U.S: Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Montana, and California. Despite many beliefs of euthanasia being morally wrong, it provides terminally ill patients an alternative to the painful suffering they are to experience before their death.

    Read More

  • The Right to Physician Assisted Suicide

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    Cotton, Paul. "Medicine's Position Is Both Pivotal And Precarious In Assisted Suicide Debate." The  Journal of the American Association 1 Feb. 1995: 363-64.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide

    478 Words  | 1 Pages

    Whose life is it, anyway? Euthanasia is a word that means good death. Euthanasia normally implies that the act must be initiated by the person who wishes to commit suicide. But, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide (lethal dose of sleeping pills or carbon monoxide gas) to a person, so that they can easily terminate their own life.

    Read More

  • The Slippery Slope of Euthanasia

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    [4] P. Allmark, "Euthanasia, dying well and the slippery slope," J. Adv. Nurs., vol. 18, pp. 1178-1182, 1993.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia Essay - Physician Assisted Murder

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    Physician assisted suicide is illegal in all states but Oregon. Physician assisted suicide is defined by Religious Tolerance.org: a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person, so that they can easily terminate their own life. The decision of when and where the time of our death should occur is one that only God has the right to decide.  Because no person or doctor has the right to end a life, physician assisted suicide should be illegal.

    Read More

  • Everyone Has a Right to Choose Euthanasia

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pankratz, Robert C., and Richard M. Welsh. "A Christian Response to Euthanasia." part 1. http://www. tkc.com/uturn/euthan.html (27 Feb. 1997)

    Read More

  • Argument in Favor of Euthanasia

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ward, PR. 1997. “Health Care Rationing: Can We Afford to Ignore Euthanasia?” Health Services Management Research: 10 (32-41)

    Read More

  • Moral and Ethical Issues of Euthanasia

    1525 Words  | 4 Pages

    Robert Matz; Daniel P. Sudmasy; Edward D. Pallegrino. "Euthanasia: Morals and Ethics." Archives of Internal Medicine 1999: p1815 Aug. 9, 1999 .

    Read More

  • Assisted Suicide Should Not be Legalized

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dougherty, Charles J. & Co. “Legalizing Euthanasia Would Harm Society.” Euthanasia- Opposing Viewpoints. Ed.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Euthanasia

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    Should a patient have the right to ask for a physician’s help to end his or her life? This question has raised great controversy for many years. The legalization of physician assisted suicide or active euthanasia is a complex issue and both sides have strong arguments. Supporters of active euthanasia often argue that active euthanasia is a good death, painless, quick, and ultimately is the patient’s choice. While it is understandable, though heart-rending, why a patient that is in severe pain and suffering that is incurable would choose euthanasia, it still does not outweigh the potential negative effects that the legalization of euthanasia may have. Active euthanasia should not be legalized because

    Read More

More about Physician-assisted Suicide is Murder

Open Document