Physician Assisted Suicide
In the United States every citizen has certain inalienable rights. Among these rights is the right to life. If everyone has the right to live, shouldn't they also have the right to die? Five of the fifty states of America give terminally ill people the decision to take their own lives through physician assisted suicide. I feel that physician assisted suicide should be a nationwide practice that is accepted.
Most terminally ill people live in a constant state of pain. As they are slowly dying a painful death their bodies are pumped full of medicines that will just prolong their pain. Many of them are at the point where they don't want to be alive anymore, they don't want to live through the pain. It's common for humans to put down animals when they are in excruciating pain, but with humans many would rather have them suffer and die naturally. When a horse breaks its leg it is the right thing to do to put him down so he doesn't have to suffer. If a person is suffering from pain and would like to be put out of their misery that's their decision and it should be respected.
A common trait in terminally ill patients is that they feel they've lost all control of their lives. They feel as if they're just waiting for death to finally overcome them, and that is one of the worst feelings in the world. Through assisted suicide, they have the chance to take control of how they go and when there time has come. Theyre going to die anyways, so the least you could do is let them go on there own terms. They shouldn't be left sitting around waiting for their last breath. If they prefer going on their own terms they should be allowed a humane way to take their lives. One of the more controversial points is when it's a child making the decision. Imagine a fourteen year old girl sitting in her hospital bed on a ventilator. She's been through alot so she's qualified to make that decision no matter her age. It's a terrifying thing to decide, but it gives them some control. Let them die with dignity rather than suffering.
All patients have rights according to the Bill of Rights of Patients, one of these rights is that they can accept or refuse treatment. Although physician assisted suicide is controversial it can still be considered a form of treatment, it won't make them get better but it will stop their suffering. When it comes to treatment in a hospital when all other options are exhausted, giving up is the next best choice. When a person is on life support their family is given the decision to keep them alive or let them go. Much like when a person is on life support, there is little to no chance of improvement when it comes to many cases of terminal illness. If this is allowed, then why shouldn't someone with a terminal illness be allowed to decide to let themselves go. It's a right of the patient to decide how they go about their treatment and if there's nothing else that will help them, then it's their choice to take their own life.
When talking about assisted suicide, there are people who would view it as murder of an unstable individual. When in such a fragile state, the ill could be coerced into going through with something they didn't really want. This is an understandable point to stand behind, but the physician assisting the suicide is not murdering the patient. The physician would have to be a trained individual who wouldn't try to talk someone into killing themselves. The physician also should not bring it up as an option until every other option is exhausted. If the patient wants to go through with it, the physician would prescribe them something to do it with, but the physician would not force them to do anything. It's not murder, it's them aiding in the suicide. It still sounds awful but when you think about it is it any worse than letting the patient suffer just so they can live. And in all fairness if they consider physician assisted suicide it's likely they've also considered taking their lives on their own, which isn't a better solution. It's like putting down a horse with a broken leg, or euthanizing a dog with a heartworm infestation. It's the humane way of dealing with terminal illnesses.
Physician assisted suicide is a highly controversial topic, but when it comes down to it, you can't really make the decision unless it's you who is laying there waiting to die. This is a decision that only those who are terminally ill and want to have this as an option can make. It also is a choice of the physician who prescribes the drugs. Since physicians are trained to save lives not aid in taking them, it would take a special kind of physician to feel they can do this. If everyone has the right to live, shouldn't they also be given the right to die.
