Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Quill, Timothy E. "Physicians Should 'Assist In Suicide' When It Is Appropriate." Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics 40.1 (2012): 57-65. Academic Search Complete.
“When Death is Sought Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context Supplement” Retrieved from http://wings.buffalo.edu/faculty/research/bioethics/suppl.html Rogatz, P. (2001). “THE VIRTUES OF PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE” the Humanist. Retrived from http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/rogatz.htm ProCon.org. (2007, August 22). Patrick Hopkins, PhD.
No one has the right to decide who should live and who should die. This decision is left up to God (or whomever you worship) or fate. By legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide and making it acceptable, this opens the door for abuse of power, breaches the Hippocratic Oath “I will not administer poison to anyone where asked," and I will "be of benefit, or at least do no harm.” However, compared to the answers given by Physicians in the 1996 survey, it seems that the Hippocratic Oath may already have some grey areas. Physicians are also human, which means they can make mistakes. (Braddock C, 1999) The diagnosing of diseases and their prognosis may be science, but it is not absolute.
This relates to doctors who demand a defined and specific diagnosis required for euthanasia. Lennie’s mental disorder is his fatal flaw. He is not a patient with terminal cancer, he is a patient with a deadly contagion with one confirmed death; Curley’s Wife. George is quarantining this disease when he kills George, protecting society and any future victims of Lennie’s innocent wrath. This form of euthanasia is not only an act of mercy towards Lennie, but towards any other potential victims.
Even in Britain where euthanasia or PAS is illegal, people and mostly physicians practice it. In May 1999, a British general practitioner Dr. David Moor was prosecuted of murdering a patient. He was accused of murdering 85-year-old terminally ill cancer patient George Liddell by administering a fatal dose of the painkiller, Diamorphine. Although he was not found guilty in murder but he had given drugs to that patient. Also he admitted in a press interview to having helped up to 300 people to die ("BBC News”).
This case proceeded in London and was said to be a strong influence in the abolishment of capital punishment in the United Kingdom. Evans was executed in 1950 for the murder of his wife and 13-month-old daughter. Evans maintained his innocence through the whole trial and told investigators that his neighbor, John Christie murdered his family. There was not much evidence against Evans and the case was said to be really weak but he was still executed on March 9, 1950. The police coerced Timothy Evans into a false confession by threatening him.
Physician-Assisted Suicide: Should physician assisted suicide is legal? PHI103 Informal Logic Angel Vasquez December 3, 2012 Physician-Assisted Suicide: Should physician assisted suicide be legal? The voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician assisted suicide is the practice of providing a competent patient with a prescription for medication for the patient to use with primary intention of ending his or her own life. I believe there are many things to consider about physician assisted suicide. “The history of law’s treatment of assisted suicide in this country has been and continues to be one of the rejections of nearly all efforts to permit
A refusal is the patient’s right, and no treatment or medication is forced on them. Refusing to be resuscitated forces the medical staff to allow the patient to remain deceased instead of reviving the patient. Americans have a common law and constitutional right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. This right extends to the elimination of life sustaining equipment including the administration of artificial nutrition and hydration. This “right to die” should extend to aide a dying or active euthanasia for the terminally ill at their request.
“Physician Assisted Suicide" SOC120 Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Shannon Sellers October 21, 2013 Should a person be allowed to ask for physician assistance to terminate their own life? This question strikes a moral debate that does not have a clear answer. Autonomy gives individuals the right to make medical decisions relating to their course of care. If a person determines they do not want life sustaining measures taken physicians are required to respect this even knowing it may result in death. When it comes to the decision to end one’s life due to a terminal illness with unmanageable pain a physician is not allowed to assist one in dying.
However, if a doctor or another individual assists in the suicide, it is then considered murder. Doctors are supposed to save lives, not take them. Society does not find that ending one’s life, whether personally or assisted, is acceptable. Doctor assisted suicide is one of the top most controversial issues in America (Ertlet, 2011). Dr. Jack Kevorkian was one of the most well-known physician-assisted suicide supporters in America.