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The Value of Human Life, a Reflection on Assisted Suicide in the Courtroom.

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The Value of Human Life, a Reflection on Assisted Suicide in the Courtroom.
Shaun Flynn
Dr. Paul Gaffney
30 November 2011
Law Research Paper

The Value of a Human Life

“Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.”
“Government has no other end, but the preservation of property.”[1]
-John Locke

We look at the words of one of the framers of our constitution, and we apply it to the concept of assisted suicide. This subject was one of the hottest issues of the late 20th century, but why was this issue so crucial? Why did it seem to have law writers and judges fumbling to grab for their red tape? There seems to be a more deep seated opinion on why the land that gives us the right to freedom of speech, expression, natural, and civil rights, can restrict the one right we should inherently have. The question I pose for you today isn’t to look at the morality of suicide, but rather look, and ask yourself, why don’t we have the right to die? This paper will be broken down into two sections, one will be the law, precedent, acts, etc. and the other will be the philosophy governing our actions as a collective body and why the ideals that the sound percentage of this united states are unrepresented.

The Law

There are many cases of assisted suicide, and legislation overseeing it, but the few examples I will give will show the stance that America has taken on the subject of assisted suicide. Jack Kevorkian was the front runner for euthanasia, advocate for a pro-choice death, and leader of one of the most controversial hot button issues of the late 1980s to 1990s. He fought for the legalization of assisted suicide in terminal patients and was known for saying “dying is not a crime”. He’s an important figure in this movement because he couldn’t be convicted until he was aired on 60 minutes as personally injecting the patient with the drug, instead of having them commit the suicide themselves. The importance of this distinction is that when Jack himself did not inject the


Cited: :, Section. Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. . "04/22/96 Committee on the Judiciary Tushnet Statement ReHearing on "the Origin and Scope of Roe v. Wade." House Judiciary Committee. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. . "Bill of Rights | LII / Legal Information Institute." LII | LII / Legal Information Institute. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. . "Euthanasia Sets Sail," National Review Online. Philip Nitschke, MD. Director and Founder, Exit International. June 5, 2001 Fieser, James "Fourth Amendment - The Text, Origins, and Meaning of the Fourth Amendment." Civil Liberties at About.com - Your Guide to Civil Liberties News and Issues. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. . "Human Rights: Questions & Answers." Welcome to the United Nations: It 's Your World. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . "Jacob M. Appel: Big Sky Dilemma: Must Doctors Help Their Patients Die?" Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. . News, Gerry Holt BBC. "BBC News - When Suicide Was Illegal." BBC - Homepage. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. . "Ninth Amendment - The Text, Origins, and Meaning of the Ninth Amendment." Civil Liberties at About.com - Your Guide to Civil Liberties News and Issues. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . "Oregon Death with Dignity Act." Oregon State Legislature. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. . Szasz, Thomas. "My Madness Saved Me: The Madness And Marriage of Virginia Woolf." The Thomas S. Szasz Cybercenter for Liberty and Responsibility. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. . R.G. Frey, DPhil. Professor of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University. 1998 "Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution - Outlaw Slavery in the United States." Secondary School Education - Education and Teaching. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . "Top 10 Pros and Cons." Euthanasia - ProCon.org. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. . "Why Is Abortion Legal in the United States - Learn Why Abortion Is Legal." Civil Liberties at About.com - Your Guide to Civil Liberties News and Issues. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. .
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