The Right to Die.

The Right to Die.

Growing up, some of my first memories of my life are sitting in the hospital, waiting for my grandfather to pass away from a terminal disease. Cancer took his life when I was not even two years old. The right to die, assisted suicide, euthanasia, no matter how you change the name, it’s a topic that we all have heard about. I believe that everyone should have a choice when they are so sick that life is unbearable for them to live. Families that sit in hospitals and watch their loves ones suffer and know that they cannot do anything to deter their pain. And the money spent to keep their loved ones alive, even when they cannot afford it. And when people ask me why I want to be a doctor I reply, “Because I like to help people.”

Assisted suicide its legal in three states, Oregon, Washington, and Montana, coincidently the three states that I’ve lived and grown up in. Some people wonder, why would someone want help with killing him or herself when suicide and attempt of suicide is decriminalized (Marker)? The most used reason for assisted suicide, in relief from a chronic illness. Cancer being the number one reason for assisted suicide. (Ertelt) The laws surrounding assisted suicide are very strict, and like many laws here in the United States in has a checks and balance system. The current system in Montana makes sure no one that gains anything more then the fact that their love ones have passed with no pain, benefits from the procedure. Because we do have things like a power of attorney, and if they in any way get anything from their loved one passing, such as money or estate they cannot make the decision for assisted suicide.

Many people wonder who would want an assisted suicide? Statistics in Oregon in the year of 2010 say that 59 reports of death by lethal prescription, bur 96 people were prescribed the drugs, and 20 people of the 96 dies from their underlying disease . 70.8 percent of people that have been a patient of the assisted suicide program have been over the age of 65(Ertelt).

There are many people out there that believe that assisted suicide is just an easy way out for the patient, when in reality they are not the suffering patient themself. People argue about how assisted suicide “demeans the value of human life” other people say that it “violate doctors' Hippocratic oath,” both points make a valid argument. But there are counter arguments to both these statements. The value of a human life, is seen through the beholder, and now known as the “other pro-choice” people want a say, in life and in death. And when people argue about the Hippocratic oath, doctors take the Hippocratic oath worldwide; it has been the basis for medicine since Greek times. The Hippocratic oath states that no one shall kill anyone via lethal drugs, it also states that you shall never cut into a person (surgery) or abort someone’s child. Both practices used nation, and worldwide. (“Definition…”)

Works Cited

Marker, Rita L and Hamlon, Kathi. “Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Frequently Asked Questions.” http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org. Patients Right Council, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 18 Sept 2011.

Ertelt, Steven. “Oregon Report Shows Assisted Suicide Deaths Increase Again.” lifenews.com. lifenews.com, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Sept 2011.

“Definition of Hippocratic Oath.” MedicineNet.com. Medicine Net Inc., 27 April, 2011. Web. 18 Sept 2011.