In the state of Montana, courts may soon recognize Montana as the first state in the United States to advocate assisted suicide as a “protected right under a state constitution.”
Robert Baxter, a 76-year-old truck driver from Montana, recently died from lymphocytic leukemia, but during the past year, he stubbornly fought for “the right to die with help from his doctor,” hoping to somehow bring about a quicker end to his agony.
Instead, patients much like Mr. Baxter, particularly those with terminal illnesses, continue to suffer endlessly even though no available treatment to relieve them of their pain is in sight.
As the ones experiencing every acute pain, patients should be the ones deciding how they want to live or die. Who are we as outsiders to judge whether or not they have the right to die and escape the pain? The rights of patients like Mr. Baxter need to be protected and even expanded; it is our responsibility to ensure that the patients are making the most of what little time they have left, and if staying alive only hurts the patients more, then perhaps death is the better option. If life is too painful and agonizing for them, why not ease their suffering and fulfill their wishes?
Ms. Tucker, director of legal affairs for a national group advocating the rights of terminally ill patients, has the right notion when she notes, “It’s about empowering patients and giving them the right to decide when they have suffered enough.”
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/us/01montana.html?_r=1
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I first remember hearing about assisted suicide when I was in elementary school. It made sense to me back then and it still does today. If we are allowed to put dogs and other animals “to sleep” when they are obviously in more pain than they can cope with, why is this option not available to humans who desire it? While I believe that the patient should have the option of making this decision, there need to be specific limitations in place which make it a dying person’s last wish instead of a free for all suicide program. First off, the disease they face must be a terminal disease. The practice should not be made available for those who are unhappy and only want to escape this world. It should be available and used by those who are in so much pain because of their terminal disease that life is no longer worth living. Furthermore, the patient must be coherent and explicitly state that they want assisted suicide. It must also be known that it is in the patient’s best interest and that they are not being forced or coerced into getting assisted suicide. By enabling the patient to choose when they have had enough, they are able to die on their own terms. They'll be able to say goodbye to their family and make sure their last wishes get carried out. With assisted suicide, patients will not need to spend the last few days of their lives in unbearable pain, barely holding onto life.
Assisted suicide is a tricky ethical dilemma, because generally bioethics has been discussed in the span of protecting and improving a patient’s life. If the patient desires death though, and is fully aware of every consequence and effect that stems from this decision, then in my opinion it makes sense to allow assisted suicide. Obviously, restrictions are required such as the patient’s cognitive capacity, underlying mental illness, ability to consent, and it needs to be a product of their own free will with an understanding of the consequences. If specific guidelines and precautions are taken to ensure assisted suicide is in fact in the best interest of the patient, it would be a benefit to those who are terminally ill.
There is a certain degree of dignity that is preserved if a terminally ill person can decide when and where he or she dies. The emotional toll on family and friends to slowly see a loved one suffer in pain and slowly slip away could have a different tone if individuals could choose assisted suicide. A person would be able to set a date for their death and control their environment and allow for goodbyes. By choosing where and when to move on from this life, a person would be the final master of his or her life and be able to die with dignity on their own terms.
Post a Comment