...The Right to Die December 23, 2012 The Right to Die Imagine for a minute this scenario: For the last 3 years your Mother’s health has been deteriorating from an incurable disease. She has been in and out of the hospital with no improvement and is now unable to eat, has lost all control of bodily functions, depressed and continually yells out in agony from the pain she is in. She begs you to help her, that she cannot endure this excruciating pain and miserable life any longer. The doctors tell you there is nothing else they can do for her at this time, that you should keep her comfortable and enjoy her while she is here. How would you feel, what would you do? Euthanasia by definition means the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Many people are not familiar with this word, but are familiar with the name Dr. Kevorkian, the doctor who helped terminally ill people end their lives. He believed anti-euthanasia was pro- torture. He was reported as saying “I’m trying to knock the medical profession into accepting its responsibilities, and those responsibilities include assisting their patients with death.” (Schneider, Keith, 2011). He was sentenced to over 60 years for...
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...ENC 1102C June 20, 2011 The Right to Die: Physician-Assisted Suicide In cases such as the Death before Dignity Act, lawmakers and citizens are trying to legalize what some would call physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician provides the means of death for a gravely ill patient but the patient takes the final step ( Dictionary.com, LLC ). According to Dictionary.com, euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, especially painful disease or condition. In most cases, the physician would recommend to the family or the patient would ask for him/herself but you have many instances where the physician hastens or rushes the patient to make the decision (Henry). The issue at hand though, is why a person can’t have control over their life and determine when it shall end. If one is mentally competent and have a terminal illness, meaning they have six months or less to live, why can’t one end their life? If all they’re doing is lying in a hospital bed receiving palliative care, eating pills like candy just to try to ease the pain, why can’t one say “okay, enough is enough?” Place yourself in their shoes, imagine if you were diagnosed with lung cancer that metastasized to your brain, or if you no longer had HIV but AIDS, would you want to live through that pain or would you rather ease it all by ending your life? That...
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...Position “THE RIGHT TO DIE” PLAW 235 Will, Trust, & Estates December 9, 2013 Katelyn J. Cash We are all going to come of an age where we face our own mortality. For many this is very scary, and often avoid planning and preparing for their impending death. Everyone has their own views, opinions and preferences as to how they wish their impending death to be handled. There are a variety of legal documents one can execute to assist medical professionals and family in carrying out ones wishes. However, many do not want life prolonging measures utilized at their time of death. A life prolonging procedure is a treatment, procedure, or intervention that uses mechanical or artificial means to restore, sustain, or replace a bodily function that without the person’s life would cease. Susan Herskowitz, Wills, Trusts, and Estate Administration 146 (4th e.d. 2014) This becomes an issue of controversy as many view making these kinds of designations and choosing how you want your life ending time to occur. So many ask do we have a right to die. Should we be allowed to choose our life ending measures? Some would argue no, one does not have the right to choose their life ending measures, while others argue yes, you should as it is your life, and you are the keeper of it. Where this become an issue is when you are facing death, often times you aren’t able to make such decisions, therefore, they are left to that of family and medical professionals. We shall also look at this right from a...
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...The Right To Die Whenever an animal is suffering, do you let it sit there in agony as each day passes? No. You take it to a vet and give it a shot to put it to sleep. Why would you let an animal endure such pain when you know you can end it easily and painlessly? What if you were that animal? What if you were in so much pain and you wanted that chance to get rid of it all? Wouldn't you want someone to help you and give you that life-changing shot? This can be referred to physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician gives a person who is terminally ill a lethal injection to hasten their death by consent of the patient. To many people, this is thought of as morally wrong. Life is beautiful and precious and you should never end it, but to those who can't even control their bodily functions anymore, there is no more life. To those who are terminally ill, to those patients who can no longer live on their own and who suffer every day, what is life to them? Life to them is waking up every morning in pain, taking medicine that is only going to help them temporarily, and watching their family members mourn at their sickness. Would you want to live that life? In this aspect, animals are treated so much better than people. It is alright to put an animal to sleep, but it isn't right to let a patient rest in peace? The main reason why patients ask for physician assisted suicide is to end the torture and the pain of their disease. Why wouldn't you want to...
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...given the right to die? Everyone gets the chance to live their life to the fullest, but at a certain point in life one realizes that their life is not worth living anymore and with the right to die, people are given the ability to do something about their realization on life. Brittany Maynard was diagnosed in 2014 with terminal brain cancer. It was a hassle for her to get treatment because of travel and changing her whole life just so she could possibly get better. Brittany was set on physician-assisted death and she was persistent for everyone, including herself to get to choose how he or she would choose to end his or her lives. “Brittany believed death is everyone’s own private destination for which they need to plan…There...
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...Amanda Rougeaux English 2 Professor Campos 1/14/2016 The Right to Die Everyone has the right to control the healthcare they receive, completely and totally. Now, if this statement were really true, should that not also include ones right to choose death over terminal suffering? Although human euthanasia is a tender subject for many people, an assisted dying law would not result in more deaths but is an economically beneficial practice that would create a better quality of life and care for patients, and ultimately will result in fewer people suffering. The opinion about an assisted suicide law is divided into roughly two groups; those who find it unethical and those who argue it would give patients a chance to die with dignity. Although many think that assisted death will start down a slippery slope to a ‘Purge’ like situation. I strongly believe that strict guidelines could prevent such. Through clear strategies and procedures, as a country, we can create a method to allow doctors in assisting terminally ill patients with death. Modern medicine has made leaps and bounds in the recent years past ensuring patients better care and longer lives. Though, in certain situations those longer lives turn into torture. There are two types of human euthanasia, passive and non-aggressive, one of which is already used today. Passive euthanasia is when doctors terminate life-support when a patient is Rougeaux 2 considered brain dead. Although doctors can passively euthanize...
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...The Right to Die Through the ages, the only facet of life that has maintained its consistency is the fact that everyone and everything dies. Death is an inevitable force that can only be avoided for short amounts of time, as one cannot live forever. In modern times, medicine's main goal and interest is to prolong the lives of those who want to live. What, then, is the fate of those who are stricken with terminal illnesses? What of those who writhe in pain every day and are incapable of performing the most menial tasks for themselves? Along with abortion and gay marriage, euthanasia is at the forefront of the political arena as a hot-button debate topic. The basic issue surrounding the euthanasia debate is whether or not a physician should, or be allowed to, provide assistance in death in the case of a terminal condition to a patient incapable of carrying out the deed him or herself. A terminally ill patient should have the right to choose when and how he or she dies and the topic of euthanasia should be free from social stigma and religious taboos. To some the name Jack Kevorkian conjures up images of a murderous doctor preying on innocent and sickly patients. Known to critics and dissidents as “Dr. Death”, it would seem as if he is guilty of grave offenses against his patients. Contrarily, at the patients' request, Dr. Kevorkian provided over one hundred thirty men and women with painless endings to their lives (Memmott). He is seen as a pioneer, leader, and symbol of the Right-to-Movement...
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...that every human being born into this world has a "right to life," then it logically follows that every human being has a right to end their life (or a "right to die"). Because death is a part of life, a person's right to life logically assumes a right to not have that life. Thus, any law upholding a person's right to life has inherent within that same law a person's right to die, otherwise it would not be a right to life in the true sense of the term. But there is a legal battle going on in America right now over whether or not a person has a right to die. Does the government have the right to prolong your life by artificial means whether you desire it or not? With the passing of this law nationwide, you, as the voter will simply be saying, “It is YOUR choice” (Patashnik, 2004) The issue of “Having a Personal Right to Die,” has been long simmered beneath the surface in legal and political circles: under what circumstances do terminally injured and ill Americans have the right to choose to die? The Supreme Court made a definitive statement in the landmark 1990 case Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health that severely injured patients have a constitutional right to refuse medical treatment and die. But the court also ruled that states can require "clear and convincing" evidence of a patient's intent to forgo medical treatment, a rather high evidentiary standard to meet. History The actual word for “having a right to die” is Euthanasia. According to Dictionary.com, euthanasia...
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...A controversial topic in the world today is having the right to take ones own life in certain conditions of pain an suffering of unbearable pain or an untreatable illness. The proper term for this act is called Euthanasia, which translates from Greek roots as “good death” (Kastenbaum 267). Having the right to die is a powerful right that if were made legal could create many dark roads, which there would be no turning back on once entered. On the other hand having the right to die when diagnosed with an untreatable illness and given the option to an ideal death as some might put it by passing away under euthanasia. I believe that living in a free society that allows citizens the right to their own death under the right circumstances decided by that one person and their condition that is either physically or mentally daunting. Having other people dictate when this time in life occurs or not occurs to me just does not make sense. Giving the power to someone to decide what is best for them is in all that one persons decision and should not be dictated by anyone else. The right to die first entered America in 1976 in a New Jersey courtroom. Before this the act of taking one’s life by euthanasia was thought only for animals or that of a sinner. During this time in the 1970’s religion had much more of an impact with more followers and believers in the everyday lives of the American people than compared todays society (Gallup). In 1975 Karen Ann Quinlan, 21 collapsed and stopped breathing...
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...Most people die in hospitals hooked up to machines which are trying to keep them alive and comfortable. They also have doctors and staff making a fearless effort to save their lives the best and only way they know how. The subject of assisted suicide or self-sacrifice is a very controversial conversation between people today. I support assisted suicide, or dying with dignity, as long as you are of sound mind when you make your decision. I would want my family and friends to remember me happy and healthy instead of in agonizing pain. Every human being has a fundamental right to make decisions involving their own body, including the right to decide that they no longer wish to endure the pain and suffering of a terminal illness. These are the people who are going to die in a limited amount of time, who are suffering greatly either physically, mentally or both, and who are being kept alive not by choice, but because of advanced medical technology. Life isn’t just about breathing; it’s about living. Who wants to live life being a ‘shell’ and not knowing what is going on around them? All persons have a moral right to choose what they will do with their lives as long as they do not inflict harm on others. It includes the right to end one’s life when they choose. For most people, the right to die is a right they can easily exercise. However, there are many people who want to die, but their diseases or handicapped conditions make them unable to end their lives in a dignified manner...
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...An Economic and Law Based Analysis of ‘The Right to Die’ What constitutes as the ‘right to die’? According to US Legal Inc., the “right to die” refers to a variety of issues associated with the decision of whether or not an individual should be allowed to die when it is possible for them to continue living with the aid of life support, or in a debilitated state. More specifically, it refers to the idea that an individual diagnosed with a terminal illness, committing suicide before death occurs, should be permissible with their right to refuse an extension of life through artificial or heroic efforts acknowledged. In this term paper, analyzed, are the economic issues and concerns associated with the fight for the ‘right to die’ in Canada. Explored,...
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...Joyce Chen Aaron Lay ENC 1101 12 August 2013 Killing Them Softly Death is an ineluctable phenomenon, but it can be quick, possibly painless, or one can bear insufferable pain. It is stated in the Hippocratic Oath, “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a pessary to cause an abortion” (United States). A physician should uphold his or her duty to save a person’s life, even though that person may be in immense amount of pain and rather die. This is where the debate over legalizing euthanasia comes in. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are very similar, however, dissimilar at the same time. In all technicality, physician-assisted suicide is the active form of euthanasia, and it gained popularity after the largely controversial case of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Comprehending the basic knowledge of euthanasia and its history will help one to understand why euthanasia is not such an unacceptable practice, but also why legalizing euthanasia can benefit many people. Euthanasia is derived from “the Greek word for ‘good death’” (Terri). This “may imply that the Greeks and Romans who coined the term agreed on the basic issues [of euthanasia although,] history shows on us that this is not the case” (McDougall 3). Until Christianity came about, if the person is suffering from immense pain and/or the quality of life is futile, a physician’s duty to kill was equated to the duty to heal. Unfortunately, euthanasia...
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...The Right to Death: Advocating for the Patient’s Right Kristine Bisceglia N176 Saddleback College The Right to Death: Advocating for the Patient’s Right As new graduate nurses we are going to be presented with many new challenges while working in the hospital and as we transition into this role of “nurse” instead of “student nurse”, we will be actively learning how to manage our time, our patient load and what it truly means to be an advocate for our patient’s rights. One challenge that we all are going to face for the first time is learning how to accommodate a dying patient and their wishes. The challenge isn’t just about providing care but also how to handle the patient’s family and even our own possible opposing beliefs. First, we are going to have to understand difference and what our ethical obligations are when we are faced with questions and situations pertaining to end of life decisions. An advance directive allows a competent adult to make the decision about their end of life care and this is acknowledged in a formal document known as a living will. The document will include; an individual the patient has chosen to make decisions for them if they become incompetent or incapacitated to make decisions on their own, stipulations on what is acceptable care and treatments and procedures that are not to be implemented as well as authorization for the patient’s physician to withhold or discontinue certain life-sustaining procedures under specific conditions (Cherry...
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...Death with Dignity Act Esther Harris November 29, 2015 Business Law – BA3310 Death with Dignity is a very controversial subject that has spanned many decades and continues to spark great debate from both sides of the subject. Death is a very personal matter, and those who support that law believe that a person should be able to die with dignity if he or she chooses to do so. Those who oppose the law believe that there should not be any human intervention into the process of dying. There are two distinct sides of the debate, but people should have the choice if he or she chooses to do so. Death with Dignity should become a legalized process throughout the United States. HISTORY Death with Dignity laws in several states allow mentally competent, terminally-ill adult residents to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication, from a physician, so they can die in a peaceful, humane manner in a place and time of their choosing (Death with Dignity, 2015.) In layman’s terms, a person who is eighteen years or older and has received a terminal medical diagnosis, with less than six months to live, can request for a physician to provide him or her with a prescription of pentobarbital, which can be used at the patient’s discretion to end his or her life. Some states require that the patient request the medications in writing and then again verbally, while others only require the patient to make a verbal request. The patient’s primary diagnosis must be validated...
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...Final Project Proposal Jamie Erwin PHI/105 February 1, 2015 Professor Randall Knighton Final Project Proposal The topic I have chosen to write about for my final project is, the Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide. Many societies have associated the taking of an individual’s own life with the magnitude of their morality. In the United States, the courts have ruled that no one actually has the right to die, and due to this, physician assisted suicide is outlawed throughout most of the world. There are only a few countries or states that have legalized this process. A lot of people will always associate Dr. Jack Kevorkian as the example of the way that a physician assisted suicide happens, however that is not always the case. When an individual has a terminal illness and they make the choice (being in their right state of mind, and have gotten a second opinion) choose to die, then their doctor may write a fatal prescription for that individual. There are definitely pros and cons to physician assisted suicide, in this paper I plan on showing both sides of the argument. Beginning with a few of the cons…as with any death, there is going to be grief over the loss. At times due to their spiritual beliefs, people feel like a physician assisted suicide is a selfish or even sinful act. This perspective has a lifelong effect on a person and they may harbor resentment, no one can say for sure if there is an afterlife, which is more about a negative personal perspective...
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