Death with Dignity

Death with Dignity Should a person have the choice of when they die if they are suffering from terminal disease? Most physicians and politicians would say, “No”; and most of Christianity agrees. Christianity teaches that euthanasia follows the same definition as abortion- it is murder. However, each individual’s opinion on this matter differs. One person may say it is wrong while the next would say it is morally acceptable. There are always two sides to every debate including this one. “An individual’s right to choose the time and circumstance of his or her death and/or to seek assistance in facilitating death should be guaranteed and protected by law” ( (Issitt and Newton). The choice of a terminally ill patient to end their life is only legally protected in three states here in the United States: Oregon, Washington and Montana. There are several other countries that allow for “physician-assisted suicide” and in most cases without the restriction of residency- Zurich, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. These countries only offer this assistance to people who are terminally ill and of sound mind. What is assisted suicide (also known as euthanasia)? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, assisted suicide is defined as “suicide committed by someone with assistance from another person.” There are many terms for the choice to end the life of a person whose disease has no cure and wishes to bypass the long and painful process of death. “The variations include assisted suicide; physician-assisted suicide; euthanasia by action; euthanasia by omission; passive euthanasia; active euthanasia; voluntary euthanasia; involuntary euthanasia; voluntary passive euthanasia; involuntary passive euthanasia; voluntary active euthanasia; and involuntary

Pongrac 2 active euthanasia” (Falconer). Those who wish to use more genteel terms might use words such as “‘the right to die,’ ‘dying with dignity,’ and ‘end-of-life decision-making’ (Falconer). Long ago, assisted suicide was not considered to be the evil some people believe it to be at present. Ancient cultures used to follow the basic principle of, if you don’t like your life, end it. Do not endure the hardships of life if you do not have to. Religion seems to have played a major role in the formation of opinions about assisted suicide and suicide in general. By the 1100’s, the practice of euthanasia had gone by the wayside due to the thinking of the church. The practice gained support in later years, but not enough to change the overall ideal of assisted suicide. The argument of whether or not to legalize euthanasia in the modern generations began with the arrival of narcotics to anesthetize patients such as morphine or ether. Assisted suicide can be seen as murder or as a merciful way to end the life of someone who is facing many days of pain and suffering if they continue to live with the disease which they have been diagnosed as having. In today’s society, more and more people are becoming comfortable with the idea of assisted suicide. People have developed an innate fear of growing old and of the aches and pains that come with advanced age or illness. They are continually seeking ways to stay young, healthy and fit to avoid that situation. Is it wrong to do what is deemed necessary to do all of these things? In most instances, no, it is not wrong. Sometimes people take to those practices to extremes, but overall a better quality of life is achieved. This is what is being sought through assisted suicide. The quality of life of a person who is terminally ill gradually declines, sometimes more hastily than others. In times past, people were most commonly born at home and died at home. This is no longer the situation. Today, most people die in a hospital or long-term care facility (a nursing home or Pongrac 3 assisted living facility). “Gone are the days when death was accepted as part of the natural processes of the family …” (The right to die.) In some countries, the family members of the terminally ill chose to go to prison in order to help their loved one pass away in a more peaceful manner than they would otherwise die. But not all family members are willing to help, nor are they willing to even be present at the time of departure of their loved one. Most people do not want to think about death, let alone have to face it with a loved one. Some people would argue that legalized physician-assisted euthanasia might give an opening for doctors to arbitrarily hand out prescriptions for drugs to commit suicide. What they need to realize is with legalized assisted suicide there would be standards and qualifications placed upon candidates who might wish to seek that form of treatment. Restrictions and guidelines are the key to any successful and helpful treatment plan. Therefore, assisted suicide is not for those who are depressed or are simply tired of having to deal with everyday problems of life. It is only for those whose quality of life will not get better through any other form of treatment and are facing terrible agony in the near future. Assisted suicide is probably one of the most humane forms of death, other than a person passing quietly away in their sleep. This is due in part to the fact that this is essentially the way people who are treated with euthanasia pass away. They are given narcotics in lethal quantities to slip peacefully from this life into eternity. Why should this be considered wrong?

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Works Cited
Falconer, Bruce. “Death Becomes Him.” Atlantic Monthly (10727825) March 2010 305.2: 68-77. Print.
Issitt, Micah and Heather Newton. “Counterpoint: Assisted Suicide is a Civil Right.” Points of View: Assisted Suicide. 2011. 1-3. Web. 30 April 2012.
“The right to die.” Right to Die. 2009: 1-8. Ebscohost.com/pov. Web. 30 April 2012.

Cited: Falconer, Bruce. “Death Becomes Him.” Atlantic Monthly (10727825) March 2010 305.2: 68-77. Print. Issitt, Micah and Heather Newton. “Counterpoint: Assisted Suicide is a Civil Right.” Points of View: Assisted Suicide. 2011. 1-3. Web. 30 April 2012. “The right to die.” Right to Die. 2009: 1-8. Ebscohost.com/pov. Web. 30 April 2012.