BrianWright

Burchett6
22October2015

TheRightToDie

Youwalkintothehospitaltovisityourgrandma.Shelookspaleandweak.The
doctorhasjustdiagnosedherwithbraincancer,andshewilldiewithinafewlong
months.Shecannotcommunicatewithyouandhaslimitedmobilityinherlimbs.These
nextfewmonthswillbetheworstdaysofeveryoneinyourfamilyslife.Grandmawill
havetolivewithintensepainandnohopeformonths.Shecannotdiepeacefullyand
sooner,nomatterhowbadlyshewantsto.Itsasadrealitythatpeoplewithterminal
illnessescannotdiepeacefullyandforegothemonthsofintensepain.TheDeathWith
DignityActshouldbepassedintheUnitedStates.Itallowspeoplewithterminal
illnessestherighttoperformassistedsuicideandendtheirlivespeacefully.Assisted
suicideshouldbelegalizedbecauseitgivesthepatientachoice,itforegoespain,andit
putsanendtobotchedsuicideattempts.
ImagineyourselfhookeduptoanIVandcountlesswiresonahospitalbed.You
havejustbeentoldyouhaveaterminalillness.Wouldntyouwantthechoicetodieor
not?Anobserveroftheassistedsuicidelawsaid,thisisapermissivelaw.Itallows
something.Itrequiresnothing.Itforbidsnothingandtaxesnoone.Itenhances
freedom(Langwith).Whatthismanistryingtosayiswhynot?Thelegalizationofthe
lawwouldsimplyallowtheoptionofperformingassistedsuicide.Itsyourlife,andit
shouldbeyourchoice,supportersoflegalizingassistedsuicideclaimthatallpersons
haveamoralrighttochoosefreelywhattheywilldowiththeirlivesaslongasthey

inflictnoharmonothers(Andre).Itisbafflingtothinkthatthereisalawthatdoesnot
allowyoutoforegopain.Withlegalization,therightforahumansfreechoicewould
increase,whichiswhateveryoneshouldwant.Itgivesachoiceofdeathtoterminallyill
patients,nothingmore.Patientswithaterminaldiseasehaverequested
assistedsuicideatanextremelyhighrate.57%ofphysicianspracticinghavereceived
arequestforphysicianassistedsuicide(Knight).Thatmeansmorethanhalfofthe
practicingphysicianshavegottenarequest.Assistedsuicideisachoice,anditshould
beachoicegiventoterminallyillpatients.
Patientswhoarediagnosedwithterminalillnessessufferfromsomeofthemost
gruesomepainimaginable.Oneofthesepatientswasinterviewedaboutthepainand
said,SometimesIaminsomuchpainthatallIwanttodoisputmyselfonmybedand
gotosleep,butIcantsleepbecausethepainkeepsmeawake(Chapple).Itssadto
thinkthatthesepatientsareinsomuchpainthattheycantevengotosleep.Theycant
livelifetotheirfullpotential.Thepainlingersinthemforweeks,monthsevenandthey
slowlygetweakerandweaker.Itisespeciallyhardforclosefamilymemberstosee
theirlovedonesinsuchterribleconditions.Whenawomenwasinterviewedabouther
terminallyillfathersherepliedtoaquestionaboutdeathwithIficouldhavegivenhim
atabletIwouldhaveYouresufferingunnecessarilyandthecostis,youcanendup
withthecost,thecostsareastronomicalandtheresnopointbecausetheresnoendto
it(Ziebland).Whatthiswomanissayingisthatthereisnopointoflivingthroughillness
painanddepressionwhenthefinalresultisdeath.Thereneedstobeawaytospeed
uptheprocess.WhentheCaucasianracewaspolledintheUnitedStates,65%said

theywouldstoptheirtreatmentiftheyhadanincurabledisease(Lipka).Theyknow
thattheycouldntlivewithcontinuouspain,andtheyshouldnthavetoifitcomesdown
toit.Itisasimpleprocedure,andonethatisextremelypeaceful.Theinjectionstops
pain,sedatesthebody,anddeathbecomessleep,nottorture(ProsandConsof
LegalizingAssistedSuicide).Thereisnoharmthatoccursduringtheprocedureand
letsthepatientdiewithoutmoredaysofuncontrollablepain.

Eachyear,therearemoreandmorecasesofbotchedsuicideattemptsforthe

terminallyill.
Cancerpatientshavenearlytwicetheincidenceofsuicidethanthe
generalpopulation(rateof31.4/100,000vs.16.7/100,000patientyears)(Marks).
Thesestatisticsareappalling.Thereisclearevidencethatmanycancerpatientshave
thewishtodiepeacefully,andtheycannotgetgrantedtheirwishsotheyattempt
suicide.Abotchedsuicidecouldleadtoevenmorepainandmentaldamageforthe
terminallyillpatient.Imaginerightnowyouhaveaterminallyillness,whatwouldyou
do?Manyreplywithdeathtoforegothepainandhardships.InOregon,whereitthislaw
islegal,673patientshavedied(Lipka).Thisstatisticclearlyshowsthatthelawworks.
Ithasntbeenoverusedandsuicidehasntbecomemorecommon.Itissimplyjusta
choice,abetterwaytoendthepain.BritneyMaynard,aterminallyill29yearoldfrom
Californiawenttoextrememeasurestomakesureshewouldbeabletodiepeacefully.
ShewasaresidentofCalifornia,andmovedtoOregon,whereassistedsuicideislegal
sothatshecouldhavetheproceduredone.Shestated"Thereisnotacellinmybody
thatissuicidalorthatwantstodie.Iwanttolive.Iwishtherewasacureformydisease
butthere'snot...Myglioblastomaisgoingtokillme,andthat'soutofmycontrol

(Molloy).Thisisthemostaccurateinterpretationofthelifeofaterminallyillpatient.Of
coursetheywanttobecured,buttheyknowthatwillnothappen.
Manypeoplewhodisagreewiththelegalizationofassistedsuicidebelievethat
wewouldntbeabletocontrolit.Theyfearaworldinwhichdeathbyphysiciansuicide
becomesabusedforthewrongreasons.ButinOregon,wherethelawhasbeen
legalized,therehasntbeenonedocumentedcaseofabuse/coercion(Jackson).There
aremanywaystoregulatethelawonceitisineffectsoabusedoesnotoccur.
Opposersofthelawalsothinkthatdeathbyassistedsuicidewithbecometoocommon.
Theyarewrongaboutthattoo,AlthoughthenumberofOregoniansingestinglegally
prescribedlethalmedicationshasincreased,theoverallnumberofterminallyillpatients
ingestinglethalmedicationhasremainedsmall,withabout1/7ofonepercentof
Oregoniansdyingbyphysicianassistedsuicide(Hopkins).IthasbeenlegalinOregon
forover15yearsandthereisnosignofassistedsuicidenumbersincreasingata
drasticamount.Peoplewhoopposethelawalsosaythatitisimmoralforaphysicianto
lettheirpatientcommitsuicide.Butisadoctorreallydoinghisorherjobiftherepatient
islivingwithseverepain?OneobserverofthelawsaysNomedicalfacilityshouldhave
theauthoritytoforceaterminallyillpatienttogoonlivingwithseverepain(Nimcheski).
Itisthedoctorsjobtorelievepainandtheyshouldcarrythatoutunderany
circumstance.
Allinall,assistedsuicidehasthefactstosupportitslegalization.Weneedtoput
astoptobotchedsuicideattempts.Weneedtogivetheseterminallyillpatientsthere
ownchoice,tosufferinpainfor6months,ortoforegothepainandperformassisted

suicide.Ifyouhadaterminalillness,wouldn'tyouatleastwantthefreedomtoendyour
ownlife?