Death with Dignity By:Brianna Campbell

Death with Dignity

Assisted Suicide is not an issue of more people dying, but of less suffering. My life, my death, my choice. People with compassion for the terminally ill see it as a way of helping not hurting. Others with different religious beliefs may not view it the same (System).Fifty percent of the states in America are proposing to permit Physician-assisted suicide (PAS). There have been appoxamly one hundred and twenty-six bills that have been to legislation, yet these bills have failed in twenty-five states (Baker.) There are many people who strongly believe a terminal ill patient should have the Choice, to live in pain or die with dignity. Patients in these cases may be considering their family and loved ones rather than themselves. Some critics say this is a way for the patient to give up rather than deal with the stress or anger of their condition.

Having religious beliefs and having view point on both sides is miscommunication. For people to say “Suicide is wrong, God has forbidden it, you cannot play a god and take your own life” (Baker). Lives are made to be saved and ended by the lord, but when it might ease somebody’s suffering that playing with god comes out (Baker). We don’t have to stop things such as organ transplants, or putting injured patients on a ventilator or in other terms medical technology that makes us live longer when it’s our time to go. Lonestar College states that medical technology does for a dying patient is giving that patient more pain and agony day after day. In any choice we have the right to our own options and religious views.

Physicians separate relief from dying and killing (System). Euthanasia for some may carry a negative affect that it is the same as murder, but is it really? Murdering is painful to that person your killing right? Do they suffer? According to Lonestar College this is putting someone to sleep, to die painlessly, are ending the patients and families suffering, The Hippocratic Oath gives the physicians the right to participate in the Euthanasia. Allowing the physicians to relieve pain although they cannot administer deadly medicine. Allowing doctors the trust and admiration to advise in these life changing decision that would be in the best interest of the patient, is a decision only the patient can make.

Dying with dignity and unnecessary suffering is your right to choose. The suffering of some patients is unbearable for their family. This can lead to the emotional and finical stress of not just the patient, but loved ones as well which in turn leads to a deeper form of personal pain for all who are involved. The right to one’s own death has never been stated in the constitution, but do to the implied statement that the decisions to their life is in their own hands. This should allow the PAS law to become legalized to stand in all states of our country.

In the United States only five states have allowed PAS law legalized. Most believe Physicians are playing god but this saves many people and loved ones from suffering. In this sense the term “suicide” is incorrect (Reuters.)  Dying with dignity is an inherent right we should not be denied if a person suffers from a chronic illness, it is their life and it should be the choice of the patients to close the book on a life well-lived to relieve them of insufferable pain.
View my poster: http://campbellbri02.edu.glogster.com/death-with-dignity/