Physician Assisted Suicide Pros And Cons

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Aid in Dying Mirna Valentin Ashford University SOC120 [ July 1, 2012 ] Annie Shropshire Aid in Dying Could you imagine how a long and painful death might feel? And not be able to do anything about it but fight until the end. What if physician-assisted suicide was made legal in every state? Would more patients request this type of aid? Also, if the medical staff know for certain that this patient is terminally ill, wouldn’t it be beneficial to the rest of the patients if the terminally ill were given the chance to commit suicide. Although a physician may oppose, shouldn’t one be free to end his/her life during the final days of pain and suffering? Everyone should have the freedom to decide when enough is enough and choose how…show more content…
They also argue that Physician-Assisted-Suicide allows terminally ill patients to avoid unnecessary pain and agony in their final days and also allows the patient to control the manner and timing of his/her own death. Cons Just like there are many pros there are cons to Physician-Assisted-Suicide. Society is fearful of Physician-Assisted-Suicide because they fear being pressured to terminate their lives by the people around them and/or the medical staff. In addition, patients might feel as if they have become a burden to their families and committing suicide will resolve that for his/her family. Another concern would be the message being sent, especially to those who are not terminally ill. Would our younger generation have the understanding that committing suicide is appropriate? Would they understand the difference between physician-assisted-suicide and suicide committed on their…show more content…
Many disagree with it but I personally believe it should be up to the patient and his/her doctor to decide what is best for their life. I would say it would be considered as ethical egoism. I don’t agree with physician-assisted-suicide being illegal. I understand that someone’s death affects many people but I do believe that at the end it should be the patient’s choice. If I were terminally ill, I would not want to suffer just to suffer. What is the difference between having a patient, a human being, sedated until their death and a patient who commits suicide? It might sound a little cruel, but I personally don’t see what good a sedated patient does to society. I personally would not want to be in a vegetative state and have my family and friends witness me in that state. In addition, shouldn’t we choose how we would like to die just like we choose how we live? This topic will forever be up to discussions. “Throughout the Nation, Americans are engaged in an earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality, and practicality of physician-assisted suicide. Our holding permits this debate to continue, as it should in a democratic society.”
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