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Society Should Not Play God

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Submitted By mamilka
Words 1333
Pages 6
Maggie Milka
Caroline Reynolds
English 112-25
15 March, 2011
Society Should Not Play God One of the most controversial topics in the world today is assisted suicide. There are many aspects of this subject that could be discussed. However, the most argued aspect of assisted suicide is whether it should be legal or not. Some people think assisted suicide should be legal to help put terminally ill individuals out of their misery, while others believe assisted suicide should be outlawed because it contradicts morals and religion. Assisted suicide should be legal because it is morally right to help others die the way they want to. Assisted suicide occurs when a doctor decides to help, or assist, a patient in suicide, usually by prescribing patients medication. One of the most common drugs used by doctors is sleeping pills. The doctor will give the patient sleeping pills and direct the patient to take an excessive amount of them. This ensures that the patient passes away as peacefully as possible (Welsh-Huggins). Many doctors that assist in suicide use pentobarbital, which is a very strong sleeping aid. This pill is always available for prescription use, but very few doctors prescribe it due to the numerous amounts of deaths associated with it. This is part of the reason why many doctors use pentobarbital for assisted suicide. When this medication is taken in excess it ensures a peaceful death while sleeping. Passing away peacefully while sleeping is another reason why assisted suicide should be legal. Some believe that assisted suicide is ideal for patients who are terminally ill and cannot bear the pain any longer. This side of the issue involves the human right to be able to decide the quality and value of life. However, many believe that religion plays a large role in assisted suicide. Individuals that are against assisted suicide believe that God is the only one who decides the quality and value of life. They also believe God is the only one who can begin or end a life. This view believes that suicide is morally and ethically wrong, and it is a sin in God’s eyes. The religious view is the most controversial when dealing with assisted suicide, because religion itself is a controversial topic. Though killing another person is wrong, choosing to help a person who is dying and in need is the right thing to do. Assisted suicide laws around the world vary. The laws are very clear in some nations, and very vague in others. It is very difficult to prohibit or oversee an issue such as assisted suicide. Many people feel that assisted suicide is not an act of violence, but one that exercises our freedom. There are multiple places in the world that agree to this statement and openly and legally allow assisted suicide. These places in the United States are Oregon, Washington, and Montana (Robinson), as well as the Nations of Switzerland, Netherlands, and Belgium (Humphry). Although, in 1997 the United States Supreme Court ruled that individuals who wanted to kill themselves, and are physically unable, have no constitutional right to end their lives (Assisted). The Final Exit Network consists of a group of individuals that assist people in suicide. Their works have been questioned by the court of Atlanta, Georgia because of four individuals from the Final Exit Network who helped a fifty-eight year old man commit suicide. His death involved suffocation by helium. According to the man’s doctor, this patient had cancer previously in his lifetime, but the man was cancer free at the time of the assisted suicide (Pickert). This case is still being examined, but if the four individuals from the Final Exit Network are proven guilty, they face up to five years in prison. This specific case shows that there is still a fine line between right and wrong in assisted suicide cases, and that assisted suicide can be taken too far. In the United States, there are no specific laws prohibiting assisted suicide, but individuals, such as Dr. Kevorkian, are charged with murder and a jail sentence when they partake in assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian is the famous doctor that assists his patients in suicide. His ethics and morals have been questioned many times, and Dr. Kevorkian has spent time in jail. In 1994, Dr. Kevorkian was arrested for murder. He served eight years of his ten to twenty-five year sentence for his role in a patient’s suicide. Kevorkian was released in 2007, nearing his own death (Pickert). Dr. Kevorkian has become the face of assisted suicide today, which is both good and bad. By having Dr. Kevorkian the face of assisted suicide, it helps those who are trying to prevent assisted suicide from happening. No one would want to have a man who went to jail for reasons which are for what you believe. On the other hand, having someone who can be an example of what not to do is a good lesson. Dr. Kevorkian has been known as “Dr. Death” since 1956 when he conducted a study in which he photographed patients’ eyes as they died. His results showed that the blood vessels located in the cornea contract and become invisible while the heart stops beating (Pickert). The way Dr. Kevorkian performed his assisted suicides was the controversial part. He had made a suicide machine that There are groups for assisted suicide that exist, in the United States. A group called Compassion & Choices located in Colorado, USA have taken it upon themselves to help the individuals interested in assisted suicide. This group supports, educates, and advocates in a consultation program designed for people who are in relentless pain and who are suffering needlessly which can result in violent acts and deaths. This group has chosen to help these individuals so that violence does not occur and people can die peacefully with no legal issues (Compassion). It is very natural for an individual to want to be free from pain when he or she is dying. Many people think that there should be allowed access to medical assistance to help voluntarily end someone’s life. In the United States, the idea of assisted suicide was accepted in the 1900’s, but with informed consent. This means that doctors must inform the patients about the available treatments and attain the patient’s consent. Even though patients can use their doctor’s knowledge to get enlightenment about certain things, the patient is ultimately the one who makes the final decision. This is another reason why assisted suicide should be legal. These patients are making decisions about their own life in a free country. In conclusion, assisted suicide stimulates very strong feelings of both support and opposition. This enigma will most likely gain importance in the coming years as doctors discover new ways to extend life, and as the population of elderly citizens grows. Many nations agree that assisted suicide should be legal with patient consent. Advocates of assisted suicide throughout the world want to help people and take them out of their misery. Assisted suicide has a fine line between right and wrong, but when administered correctly, the way people want to die can be fulfilled in a morally and legal way.

Works Cited
"Assisted Suicide." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
Compassion & Choices. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.
Humphry, Derek. "Tread Carefully When You Help to Die Assisted Suicide Laws Around the World." Assisted Suicide. 01 Mar. 2005. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
Pickert, Kate. "Assisted Suicide." TIME. 03 Mar. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
Robinson, B. A. "Euthanasia & Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). All sides to the issue." Religious Tolerance. 2010. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Velasquez, Andre, Claire, and Manuel. "Assisted Suicide: A Right or A Wrong?" Santa Clara University. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Welsh-Huggins, Andrew. "Ohio to Use Assisted-suicide Drug in Executions." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Web. 01 Mar. 2011.

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