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Katie Spinner
Professor Cayce
GS 2121-005 Argument and Persuasion
08 April 2015

Assisted Suicide: A Dignified Way of Dying

Death definitely has an impact on society, as well as the factors that coincide with death.
Factors such as the cause of death, age, religious/cultural aspects, and emotions are all important
to acknowledge. Death is a difficult and broad concept to understand/discuss, however it is
inevitable. Suicide also has an impact on society and there are certainly factors of death that are
also associated with suicide as well. There are people who believe suicide is cowardly and there
are people who believe suicide is the only option, escape, or way out. In addition to death and
suicide, assisted suicide is a controversial concept in society that has sparked a debate
nationwide. Assisted suicide should be federally legalized for people with terminal illnesses
because they have the right to control when, and how they ultimately die.
Assisted suicide is a dignified way of dying and should be for people with terminal
illnesses only. People with terminal illnesses such as cancer should be able to make the decision
to essentially end their own life if they want to do so. It should also be their choice whether or
not family members, friends, or physicians are present. According to CNN, Physician assisted
suicide is legal in Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Bernalillo County in New
Mexico (Physician- Assisted Suicide Fast Facts). The article discusses the differences
between the laws in these five states. The article claims, It is an option given to individuals by
state law in Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Individuals must have a terminal illness as well

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as a prognosis of six months or less to live. Physicians cannot be prosecuted for prescribing
medications to hasten death (Physician- Assisted Suicide Fast Facts). It is important that
doctors/physicians are protected under these laws. Although the laws vary in these five states,
physician assisted suicide should be federally legalized in all fifty states, and should be modified
and regulated. The law should essentially be the same for each state.
Even though physician assisted suicide is currently legal in five states, assisted suicide
has been committed illegally. Some notable instances include the work of Doctor Jack
Kevorkian. According to biography.com, Jack Kevorkian became a pathologist who assisted
people suffering from acute medical conditions in ending their lives. After years of conflict with
the court system over the legality of his actions, he spent eight years in prison after a 1999
conviction (Jack Kevorkian Biography). Even if Kevorkian had consent from his patients, he
was still breaking the law. His biography states, But Jack Kevorkian would become infamous in
1990, when he assisted in the suicide of Janet Adkins, a 45-year-old Alzheimer's patient from
Michigan (Jack Kevorkian Biography). Kevorkian would use euthanasia on his patients,
which is different than the legal method used today. The biography claims, Kevorkian agreed to
assist her in a public park, inside his Volkswagen van. Kevorkian attached the IV, and Adkins
administered her own painkiller and then the poison. Within five minutes, Adkins died of heart
failure (Jack Kevorkian Biography). If physician assisted suicide was legal in Michigan at
this time, a different method could have been administered to Janet Adkins, Doctor Kevorkian
would have been protected under the law, and he would not have had to face time in prison.
In addition, our country has been following Brittany Maynards inspiring story of assisted
suicide in Oregon. Brittany Maynard was a twenty-nine year old newly married woman who
discovered she had terminal brain cancer. Her illness was becoming worse, and she ultimately

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made the decision to end her own life, before her terminal illness could. She moved from
California to Oregon with her family by her side so her actions would be legal. If someone with a
terminal illness decides to make this decision to end their own life, they will move to a state
where assisted suicide is legal regardless, therefore this law should be legalized nationwide.
Brittany Maynard accepted her fate, and her physical state affected her mental state of mind in a
positive way. She set a date for the day she would take the prescription pills to peacefully and
comfortably die in her own home. Before the date she traveled to different parts of the country
and made living worthwhile. Brittany claimed, My dream is that every terminally ill American
has access to the choice to die on their own terms with dignity. Please take an active role to make
this a reality (The Brittany Maynard Fund). As a nation we should come together and honor
her one wish.
The documentary How to Die in Oregon offers views about assisted suicide from
multiple perspectives. The documentary includes the legal aspect, as well as the aspect from a
medical professional. It also shows experiences of several terminally ill patients and the impact
on their families as well. A synopsis of the film states, In How to Die in Oregon, filmmaker
Peter Richardson gently enters the lives of terminally ill as they consider whether- and when- to
end their lives by lethal overdose. Richardson examines both sides of this complex, emotionally
charged issue. What emerges is a life-affirming, staggeringly powerful portrait of what it means
to die with dignity (About The Movie). One of the women shown in the film discovers she
has liver cancer and undergoes surgery. The cancer came back, and she decided to consult her
doctor about assisted suicide as an option. Members of her family were not completely in support
of her decision, however they respected what she wanted and came to accept the decision. The
woman ultimately ended up receiving new treatment and did not end up following through with

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the decision. It is important to realize that people are open to changing their minds, and by no
means is anything being forced upon them.
A synopsis of the film also claims, In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize
physician-assisted suicide. As a result, any individual whom two physicians diagnose as having
less than six months to live can lawfully request a fatal dose of barbiturate to end his or her life
(About The Movie). Careful thought has been put into this law. Terminally ill patients who
make the decision of assisted suicide must have two people of their choice sign a form stating
they are mentally stable and competent enough to make that decision. The patient also has the
right to change their mind at any time. The prescriptions are usually covered under insurance,
and the people who decide to do this have accepted the fact that they will die. They want to
control when they do and not have to suffer or be in pain.
Furthermore, more research has been done on the laws regarding this matter throughout
the country. According to the Death With Dignity National Center, Oregon's law has been in
effect since 1997, and the years of data show the law is safe and utilized the way it's intended
with no evidence of a slippery slope for vulnerable Oregonians. Our win in Washington in 2008
and our 2013 victory in Vermont demonstrate this solid legislation stands the test of time and
serves as the model for all states (Death with Dignity Around the U.S.). This shows that
within sixteen years, three states in this country have made physician assisted suicide an option
for terminally ill people. As time goes on, more states should be open to this law. They also
claim, While many bills are drafted each year, the majority fail. Some consider it a failure most
bills don't end up becoming law, but we view these bills as a testament to the growing support of
the Death with Dignity movement, the will of the public, and the strength of the Oregon,
Washington, and Vermont model legislation (Death with Dignity Around the U.S.). More

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people are becoming open to this legislation, which is definitely significant. As a nation, we can
make this law legal throughout the entire country, even though it will take time.
Physician assisted suicide is an ongoing debate our country faces. The documentary How
to Die in Oregon and Brittany Maynards story have made people see this controversial topic
through many different perspectives. Brittany Maynards death in November of 2014 has
definitely brought more attention to assisted suicide. Terminally ill patients should have the right
to make their own decisions regarding their own lives. Some may see this decision as cowardly,
however it is the farthest thing from cowardly. People who are terminally ill do not want to be
remembered as how they were when they were sick and in pain. They want their lives to have a
purpose, and want to be remembered as strong individuals. They want to die with dignity. All in
all, more bills should be passed instead of failed, and physician assisted suicide should be
federally legalized nationwide.

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Works Cited
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.biography.com/people/jack-kevorkian-9364141>.
"The Brittany Maynard Fund." The Brittany Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.thebrittanyfund.org/>.
"Death with Dignity Around the U.S." Death with Dignity Around the U.S. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr.
2015. <http://www.deathwithdignity.org/advocates/national>.
" ." How to Die in Oregon. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015. <http://www.howtodieinoregon.com/aboutthe-movie.html>.
"Physician-Assisted Suicide Fast Facts - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 08 Apr.
2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/us/physician-assisted-suicide-fast-facts/>.
Richardson, Peter, dir. How to Die in Oregon. 2011. Film.