Facts should be examined first
Physician assisted death has been an ongoing argument since the time of the ancient Greeks. There are two sides to the argument: Is it right or wrong?
Before deciding whether or not this archaic practice works with your own ethics, let’s first look at the facts. There is one difference between physician-assisted-death and euthanasia, which is who exactly is taking the life. With PAD, the doctor is merely providing the means for suicide; usually prescription pills, while euthanasia is when the doctor performs the act.
The practice of physician-assisted-death in the US is legal in only four states and one county of another state. Movements have been made to increase this number and a lot of people are making headway in getting approval. Among these people are victims of terminal illness, lawyers, and doctors. It is required that you have a terminal illness as well as a prognosis of six months or less in order to be accepted.
The reason that so many people consider PAD is because of the constant pain that terminal illnesses cause. So much so that they would rather be dead than deal with it. Many people who are told how long they have to live would rather take matters into their own hands for one last shred of control. Being with loved ones while you’re still strong enough to stand and being able to say your goodbyes is all some people want in their last moments.
With the help of a physician, not only is it legal and provides a more foolproof way of death, it also makes it so people don’t have to go about it by themselves.
There are, however, certain morals and religious views that keep many people away. In Christianity, suicide is a sin worthy of eternal damnation and with some Buddhists it is believed to affect your rebirth negatively. Some people are concerned for the well being of the loved-ones who are left behind. Others simply feel it is not a physician’s right to take a human life, or that it is not part of God’s plan.
As you can see, there are many views on the subject and developing your own opinion is important. Take what you will from this brief explanation and decide how you feel on the matter. Being educated on matters can’t hurt.
Kristin Crouch • Aug 10, 2015 at 8:41 AM
I couldn’t imagine doing this. I’ve never had a terminal illness, but I’ve had family that has. My grams was told she had about a week left to live. But she’s a fighter and at 84 years of age she managed another 6 months. Even then, she past away due to natural causes, not the cancer. Just because a doctor tells someone they have a limited amount of time, there’s no set date when someone will die. Killing yourself eliminates the possibility of surviving. But to each their own.