Assisted suicide has been a point of contention for decades. It has been a major issue in the world of bioethics and constitutional law alike, and has garnered serious media attention – most notably in recent years because of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Mr. Kevorkian was let out of prison June 1, 2007 after having served eight years in prison for assisting an estimated 130 suicides.
By current law, assisting suicide is outlawed in every state except Washington and Oregon. The United States Supreme Court has heard two major cases relating to the issue, and both of these cases have led to a ruling against the legalization of assisted suicide. In 2009, however, The Montana Supreme Court ruled in favor of its legalization in Baxter v. Montana , with a few restrictions of course.
My question is – why are Washington and Oregon the only states to have this option available to patients in extreme amounts of pain?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were the ideals that America was founded on. All people deserve to live their lives with the freedom to do that which will give them a better quality of life, as long as this path keeps them within the confines of the law. And currently, yes, assisted suicide is against the law, but why? Because of religious opposition? Statistics have shown that being religious is incredibly likely to influence your view on euthanasia, as the act is generally associated with “playing God.” (Lancet, 5). By “playing God,” physicians are “unnaturally” ending the lives of other human beings, which, in other words, is to say that they are controlling their time here on Earth. But, surely, a large majority of the religious opposition would not be opposed to all forms of antibiotics and surgeries, right? Any surgery or antibiotic used is meant to prolong human life and do things for the body that it could not do by itself. Is this not also controlling our time on Earth?
Assisted suicide has gotten a bad rep over the years – Jack Kevorkian was not branded “Dr. Death” by his avid supporters, after all. However, ethically, it seems sound to me. If someone is in an extreme amount of pain and doesn’t want to bear it anymore, then they should have the right to tell their doctors to ease their suffering. Those who live every day in extreme agony and have no hope of getting better would be extremely grateful to find peace and die with dignity.
We’re only here for so long, and each of us chooses how we want to spend our time…so if what someone wants is to turn out the lights when the pain is too great, then let the lights be extinguished so they can find their dignified and painless rest.
Articles:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18974940/
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