Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
By: Celeste! Brown
Thomas Jefferson said, “ The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of a good government.” Euthanasia and assisted suicide create a large public debate to abide by that statement. Many people are often confused as to what the difference between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS) is. In lay terms, euthanasia is killing any living thing to ease or lessen its suffering at any point in its life. Physician assisted suicide, on the other hand, is the medical practice of a doctor or medical professional helping a terminally ill adult human to commit suicide when there is no possibility of an improved quality of life. This essay intends to show what the moral and ethical differences between euthanasia and PAS are and why PAS should be made legal in western countries such as the United States.
PAS has made some progression in climbing the legal ladder. In the United States there are only three states where PAS is legal. Even though the definition of PAS clearly states that it is the medical practice of a doctor or medical professional helping a terminally ill adult human to commit suicide when there is no possibility of improving quality of life, 47 states still find it illegal. Montana, Washington, and Oregon are the three states where the Supreme Court ruled, or a law was passed, concluding that PAS is a true medical practice making it legal. In Albania and Luxembourg PAS is also legal. I talk solely about PAS and not Euthanasia. PAS is a non- active way of Euthanasia. I believe that PAS is a form of euthanasia that should be accepted. In countries like the Netherlands, and Belgium the actual act of Euthanasia is legal. In Switzerland doctors are not punished unless it is carried out with “selfish motives” when Euthanasia is performed. Also this just shows that even if Euthanasia of PAS is not legal where you live it is elsewhere and people who are looking to use PAS will go to where they will receive what they want or worse, will perform the act themselves in an unsafe manner. Which presents another major topic of why PAS should be made legal which I will discuss later on in the essay.
Physicians View
If we take a look at PAS through the patient’s eyes, we can understand their opinion on the topic in terms of making it legal or not. Take, for example, a terminally ill patient. This patient is either in intractable pain or is experiencing a poor quality of life. They would prefer to end their life rather than continue until their body finally gives up. Does the state have a right to deny them their wish? I think no. It is your life and you should be able to do what you please with it. I strongly believe that if PAS does not become legal soon these patients will only be suffering more. Suicide is a legal act that is theoretically available to all. But a person who is terminally ill or who is in a hospital setting or is disabled may not be able to exercise this option -- either because of mental or physical limitations. In effect, they are being discriminated against because of their disability. According to the ninth amendment Patients have the natural right to do whatever they want with their body, as long as it does not affect anybody else or any other property, and they give permission, themselves permission to do it.
There are many different views on the ethics and values that are connected with PAS. There are many people who view PAS as a compassionate means to an end for the terminally ill, while others are concerned for the physicians who can be psychologically damaged. Likewise, patients who are refused assistance due to restraints on the physicians can affect both the doctor and patient mentally. The right to choose should be solely up to the patient, and the physician should support his/her wishes, if the patient meets all requirements at the end of life. In an interview about PAS physician Kenneth R. Steven’s Jr. physicians stated, “It was an excruciating thing to do…it made me rethink life’s priorities, this was really hard on me, especially being there when he took the pills and this had a tremendous emotional impact.” According to Stevens, physicians felt isolated with their feelings and had a hard time dealing with colleagues and patients knowing they had participated in PAS. Physicians felt helpless, knowing they were a means of healing, and knowing they couldn’t do anything more went against the very reason they wanted to become doctors in the first place. The majority of physicians feel that PAS should probably be legalized. However there are some disagreements as to the protocol for which it should be legalized under, according to a study done by the American Medical Association (AMA), “45% believe it should definitely or probably be legal, 34% believed that it should definitely or probably be illegal, and 22% were uncertain.” Even though the numbers are relatively close, the study shows the growing acceptance of PAS as a legitimate medical practice.
One specific Doctor who believes in PAS is Dr. Jack Kevorkian, or Dr. Death. Dr. Kevorkian was said to help 130 or more patients to their death. The individuals Kevorkian helped allegedly took the final action that resulted in their own deaths. Kevorkian allegedly assisted only by attaching the individual to a euthanasia device that he had made called the “Thanatron”(death machine). The individual then pushed a button, which released the drugs or chemicals that would end his or her own life. He never took any payment for the procedure or any other donations to aid this practice; he simply did it because he believed it was the right thing to do. Kevorkian stated, “Dying is not a crime.” Due to Kevorkian’s actions he was tried numerous times for his actions, eventually ending up in prison from 1999- 2007 for second-degree murder. I strongly believe that Kevorkian’s intentions where nothing but the right thing to do. I believe that there may have been different ways to approach certain citations but because people don’t support him he did the best he could. In the end Kevorkian still supports his belief fully. He does believe that there is a safe and more efficient way of doing it but that PAS should be legal, and I agree completely with him.
60 Minutes Interview 1996 Dr. Jack Kevorkian
Hospitals take away food and water when a patient is in a coma, this is inhumane but is happening all across America. This is just the same as what happened in concentration camps in world war two. How can we as human beings justify that? Is starving really a better way of dying then simply letting the patient decide when suffering can come to a halt. Dr. Kevorkian believes that why not let the patient decide when they would like to die, all it takes is one simple painless injection, and unlike letting them starve to death and suffer. Supreme court disagrees they believe that, this sly way of a patient starving, is nice, it is ethical. Kevorkian believes that “We have lost common since in this society because of religious fanaticism and dogma. We are basing our laws and our whole natural outlook on life on mythology it won’t work. ”
20/20 Interview Dr. Jack Kevorkian
Barbra Walters asks Kevorkian why he doesn’t tell his patients how to commit suicide. Kevorkian goes onto explain that patients are afraid to die alone, they are afraid to do it alone, they are afraid if they misfire they will end up worse then before. Kevorkian believes that there should be certain specialists that are aloud to assist in suicide just as there are certain specialists who are cardiac doctors. Etc. Etc.
Patients View
If we take a look at PAS through the patient’s eyes, different views are brought upon. Take, for example, a terminally ill patient. This patient is either in intractable pain or is experiencing a poor quality of life. They would prefer to end their life rather than continue until their body finally gives up. Does the state have a right to deny them their wish? I think no. It is your life and you should be able to do what you please with it. I strongly believe that if PAS does not become legal soon these patients will only be suffering more. Suicide is a legal act that is theoretically available to all. But a person who is terminally ill or who is in a hospital setting or is disabled may not be able to exercise this option -- either because of mental or physical limitations. In effect, they are being discriminated against because of their disability. According to the ninth amendment Patients have the natural right to do whatever they want with their body, as long as it does not affect anybody else or any other property, and they give permission, themselves permission to do it.
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