Physician-Assisted Suicide Essay - I Want to Die - 2291 Words

Death and dying are a natural part of our lives. Not a day goes by that we do not take the chance of being run over by a car while running, being stabbed in a robbery, or being poisoned by bacteria in our food. In all of these cases, we have very little choice in deciding our fate. But what about those cases when we can do something to affect the dying process? What if we can decide whether we wish to live or die? For most of us, that is still uncharted territory, and just the thought of it chills us to the bone. Euthanasia is one such opportunity where a person can affect the dying process. It is not, as many people believe, a case of a physician killing a patient, but instead, a case where a patient who is facing a prolonged,†¦show more content†¦10), was tantamount to murder. The word euthanasia, which in Greek means the good death (10), was simply used as an excuse to try and justify the mass executions committed by the German military. Involuntary euthanasia occurs when a patients life is terminated even though he or she did not initiate the request, and most importantly, did not want to die. This reprehensible form of murder is illegal in all democratic societies today and would remain so under all currently proposed euthanasia legislation. Voluntary euthanasia, on the other hand, is a patient-driven action. The patient makes an informed decision and requests, in writing, a physicians assistance in carrying out that decision. In many cases, the physician takes a secondary role, with the patient actually completing the act that will end the suffering. The issue of the legality of voluntary euthanasia has already been debated in various other countries for some time. In the Netherlands, for example, euthanasia has become an established alternative to prolonged and useless health care procedures. Even though voluntary euthanasia is not legal, it has been decriminalized, and it is possible for a physician who accedes to a patients request for it to do so without fear of being prosecuted and punished. In order to achieve this peculiar balance in their legal system, the Dutch have established a complicated means by which to ensure that a patient whoShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics of Euthanasia Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesA teacher I once had in high school would often talk about her father who lived in hospice care. Her father suffered from dementia and had been for years. She would often talk about how on his â€Å"good† days he would plead her husband to put a pillow on his head and suffocate him, to take him out of hi s misery. If it was legal, her husband would have willingly helped her father and put him out of his misery, however in the state of North Carolina, physician-assisted suicide is illegal. Luckily,Read MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized1181 Words   |  5 Pagesbut do you know what’s worse? Knowing that you’ll eventually die, but still enduring the pain because it would be illegal to kill you. A survey taken in the United States has shown that 54% agree to physician assisted suicide or euthanasia. Euthanasia preserves rights of an individual, brings an end to the pain, and provides death with dignity. Even though others may disagree and say that its religiously incorrect, physician assisted suicide should be legalized. In the United States, we haveRead MoreEssay about Legalizing Euthanasia990 Words   |  4 Pagessuffered from a terminally ill disease (Robinson, 2001). She was helped to commit suicide by a physician in violation of Canadian law. Many people, like Rodrigues, want to be in control of their final days. 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Legalizing physician assisted suicide is â€Å"It’s my life!† an expression that is commonly used at one point in most everyone’s life. Is it my life? Do I get to make all the choices that involve my life? More importantly, who is in charge of my body? Ultimately human beings believe that they have the right to live theirRead More Assisted Suicide Essay824 Words   |  4 Pagesby far the hardest essay I have had to write. Constantly was I running into problems, and this ended up taking me much longer than I had originally planned. Writing about the opposing side of this topic was very hard, as I usually caught myself writing things that I couldn’t make work in my paper. The writing was very tough to keep on track because it isn’t actually how I feel. This essay helped me to better understand the argument that is presented from both sides. Originally I knew my own opinionRead MoreA Brief Note On Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1656 Words   |  7 PagesChoose-Euthanasia Shawnna Meyer ENGL 111-02F Professor Heather Burford April 20, 2016 Situational Analysis: This essay is a formal academic manuscript that was written to provide personal bias about the topic of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. More specifically the essay addresses the religious aspects of this topic and what role it plays in the conflict. I, the author, am applying to the nursing school at IVY Tech. The audience for this piece of writing will be other nursingRead MoreThe Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide1505 Words   |  7 Pagescapable - to decide to have an assisted suicide death, which could cause several issue with the family members. Or if the child of the ill or elderly parent has to decide whether their mom or dad should go forward with active euthanasia, could also cause some issues amongst the family. Euthanasia and assisted suicide is a way for family members and friends to be able to say their goodbyes to their loved one and know that they won’t be suffering for much longer. First, this essay is going to explore what