Len Doyal argues how euthanasia can be legal because physicians choose not to help their patients, but they can take their lives and experiment with it (65). When their decisions to try to benefit the patient’s life in the future go wrong, they only made them hurt more instead of helping them hurt less. Some say it is a crime, others say they are doing right. Doctors have a duty to help patients out as much as they can. People have the right to die and if they make the final decision that they do want to die, doctors should understand the patients decision and assist the needs and wants, concluding that euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should become legal in various areas of the world.
Some worry about legalizing assisted suicide going against the doctor’s oath, but the patients are the ones who are suffering, not the doctors. Many believe that legalizing physician assisted suicide will allow options for the patients so they aren’t suffering anymore.
Euthanasia and a Proper Death Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in American society that must be dealt with. In assisted suicide, a patient who is terminally ill requests the doctor to administer a lethal dose of medication to end his life. Assisted suicide brings up many moral and legal issues regarding the right of a patient to die with respect and the duties of a doctor. This issue is divided among people who believe that doctor assisted suicide is illegal and immoral and those who believe that suicide is a right that people have. Doctors who aid a patient to commit suicide are performing an illegal act and should be penalized to the full extent of the law.
There are pro’s and con’s to idea of being assisted medically with suicide. On one hand it’s not our place to take away a life and it’s completely contrary to what a physician is suppose to do. Aren’t doctors supposed to keep their patients alive and provide care for their patients? How is this any different from legalized murder? On the other side of things this is seen as a mercy killing for those whom are suffering.
Death is a personal situation and decision in life. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have the power to save lives and by the government interfering and not legalizing it they are interfering and violating patient’s personal freedom and human rights. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should become legal for patients; however, there should be strict rules and guidelines to follow. If suicide isn’t a crime why should euthanasia and assisted suicide?
Those seeking suicide would be legally entitled to be left alone (Sullivan) to do something irremediable, based on a distorted assessment of their circumstances, without genuine help. An attempt at suicide, some psychologists say, is often a challenge to see if anyone out there really cares(Stengel). Indeed, seeking physician assistance in a suicide, rather than just acting to kill oneself, may well be a manifestation, however subconscious, of precisely that challenge. If society creates a "right to suicide" and legalizes "physician-assisted suicide," the message perceived by a suicide attempter is not likely to be, "We respect your wishes," but rather... ... middle of paper ... ...TRY 455 (1973).
The legalization of physician-assisted suicide will make the procedure more regulated. In The Economist article, “Time to Die”, the author shares his story of a deceased intimate acquaintance who died by physician-assisted suicide in a state where physician-assisted suicide considered illegal. The author’s personal experience of illegal practice of euthanasia gives him credibility for talking about the issue of physician-assisted suicide. He argues that many practice of euthanasia takes place underground and difficult to keep tract and regulate. People who oppose euthanasia because they fear that legalizing this practice will cause poor people to choose euthanasia instead of medical treatment.
Is there really dignity in taking your own life? Or are you choosing to give up. Terminal ill patients feel they may loose this battle “life” so instead of fighting they would rather waive the white flag and tap out. Which to a healthy person may not make sense because the patient may have to move to a state that assisted suicide is illegal and go though all the legal work to get the permission to
Three major positions on the issue of physician-assisted suicide are: yes, physician-assisted suicide should be legal but it depends on the illness, yes, physician-assisted suicide should be legal but it needs to be heavily regulated, and lastly, just no. The first position I am going to talk about is yes, physician-assisted suicide should legal, but it depends on the illness. For example, physician-assisted suicide should not be accessible to a patient who has depression because depression for the most part is treatable. Further, physician-assisted suicide ... ... middle of paper ... ... Those who oppose the legalization of physician-assisted suicide often quote this oath that states the physician’s job is to do no harm, and if they are prescribing lethal drugs, they are obviously doing harm to their patient. In conclusion, the debate on whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be legalized or not is not purely black or white.
Lois Snyder, Director of Center for Ethics at American College of Physicians, discusses reasoning aga... ... middle of paper ... ... drugs to help a terminally-ill patient end their life. Overall, suicide is displayed in the Oath as unethical, considering the Hippocratic author aims at preserving life and not harming the body. Therefore, if this document is used to influence modern medicine, it should be forbidden to allow physicians to assist patients in committing suicide using drugs or poisons. In conclusion, modern day ethics are beginning to stray away from traditional thoughts against suicide. It has now become a case of greed and selfishness when a person decides to take control of their own death with the help of a physician.