End Of Life Issues Assisted Suicide Essay - 2445 Words

End of Life Issues: Assisted Suicide The legal complexities regarding death and euthanasia are currently being worked through in the courts and state legislatures. Those in favor of assisted suicide argue that it is the ultimate right of self-determination and it upholds the individual’s right to make decisions about his or her dying process. Proponents believe that long-term suffering should not have to be endured and that individuals deserve the right to death with dignity and without excessive mental, physical, and spiritual degradation (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman, 2007). Opponents, meanwhile, assert that suicide is unethical and a mortal sin for which the deceased cannot receive forgiveness. They view assisted suicide as â€Å"assisted murder† and claim that modern healthcare can provide almost everyone a peaceful, pain-free, comfortable, and dignified end to life. There is also a fear of dying which includes pain, abandonment, and loss of control; all of which, opponents argue, hospices can alleviate (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman, 2007). These two differing viewpoints complicate the government’s ability to formulate legislation that both protects individual’s right to die and prevents wrongful deaths. Background and Context The attitudes and moral issues related to end of life decisions varied across time and cultures. According to Ian Dowbiggin (2003), â€Å"Throughout classical antiquity, there was widespread support for voluntary death as opposed to prolonged agony, and physiciansShow MoreRelatedAssisted Suicide For People With A Cid901 Words   |  4 Pageson what I know about assisted suicide, I do not support assisted suicide for people with a CID. The reason for my answer is that I cannot support an individual who would commit suicide, or request assisted suicide. The two are basically the same thing as an individual ending their life, because of a health and/or mental issue. We all were given life for a reason. It is not destined for all of us to live forever; it may or may not be possible. However, we are to live our life to the fullest, untilRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Be Legal Medical Practice1611 Words   |  7 PagesAssisted should be a legal medical practice in the United States. T here is a lot of different opinions on this subject but; Is it really a question on if it’s the right thing to do? If a person is truly suffering and has no hope in getting better is it ok to end your on life; yes it is. Assisted Suicide is huge subject in our world right now, there are different types of assisted suicide but today we are going to focus on Physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide is the act of a medicalRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : Controversial Healthcare And Political Realms Alike1218 Words   |  5 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide Elissa Munoz-Tucker University of Arizona Abstract Physician-assisted suicide is controversial in healthcare and political realms alike. Currently, this end-of-life option is practiced in five states within the United States. Social concerns regarding assisted suicide revolve around ethical quandaries; providing the means to a patient’s death is contradictory to ethical principles of healthcare providers. Political concerns surroundingRead MoreShould Physician Assisted Suicide Be Legalized?1426 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide is also known as assisted suicide. It is a very controversial procedure. It is not favored by many. However, in present day society is little bit inclined towards assisted suicide. There is ongoing debate on the legalization of assisted suicide. The main reason to oppose of assisted suicide is the fear of mistreatment of the patient, abuse of power and so on. In contrary, many see assisted suicide as a way to decrease pain in the end of life. Read MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1629 Words   |  7 Pagesillnesses or major health problems, assisted suicide creates options to reduce the amount of suffering the patient must enduring. Dying with dignity could be beneficial for not only the person who is dying, but also the person’s family and loved ones. This option, however, is often viewed as unethical and immoral throughout society. Physician-assisted suicide offers an option for those with health issues but poses various ethical and social issues. Assisted death is practiced in two differentRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide1226 Words   |  5 PagesPhysician Assisted Suicide There are instances when people who are terminally ill or severely injured who want to terminate their own lives. Sometimes, due to the state of their injuries or conditions, those people are unable to end their own pain. It is in many of these cases that the patients request assistance in their suicides. This kind of request is like to happen in facilities where the patient receives long term or permanent care. Physician assisted suicide is a hotly contested issue. ThereRead MoreWhat Is Physician Assisted Suicide?939 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Physician assisted suicide? Requests to end suffering through physician assisted suicide have occurred since the beginning of medicine. This technique to end ones life is very controversial and some argue that it should be legal while others argue otherwise. There are multiple advantages and disadvantages when it comes to physician assisted suicide. In physician assisted suicide, the physician provides the necessary means to end a patient’s life, but the patient themselves performs the actRead MoreLegalizing Assistive Suicide1278 Words   |  5 PagesAssistive suicide, also known as euthanasia, â€Å"is suicide committed by someone with assistance from others, typically to end suffering from a severe physical illness† (American Heritage Dictionary, 615). This action is most commonly committed between doctor and patient interactions. This controversial issue depicts suicides as a helpful solution to personally benefit terminally ill patients, as opposed to a forbidden social issue. Assistive suicide has become a major debate of legalization. â€Å"ThisRead MoreAssisted Suicide Is Not Common For All Areas Throughout The United States890 Words   |  4 PagesAssisted Suicide Imagine being diagnosed with a life-ending disease and experiencing such excruciating pain that doctors say cannot be healed. Pain is a terrible thing to experience, especially when it is permanent. What can be done to relieve that pain? What if the only option to rid the pain from the patient is death? No one knows how that feels until it happens to them, that is why assisted suicide is used. Assisted suicide is a practice throughout most of the United States that terminatesRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide, When Is It Acceptable?1709 Words   |  7 PagesPhysician-Assisted Suicide, When is it acceptable? Assisted suicide had raised issues of great importance in the society particularly the most controversial of all, the physician assisted suicide in the health care field. Since Oregon and other states implemented the legalization of physician assisted suicide, the debates continues. The U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 1997 and the Pain Relief Promotion Act of 2000 (H.R. 5544) have kept these topics on the policy of the national agenda, along with