Physician Assisted Suicide
Suicide 1
Physician-Assisted Suicide
A Persuasive Essay
Deanna Peinsipp
English 211-02M
Instructor Elena Fitzpatrick
November 20, 2008 Suicide 2
Sigmund Freud died September 23, 1939. He fought jaw and throat cancer for over fifteen years before asking his doctor to help end his suffering. He died of a physician-assisted morphine overdose. He was of sound mind, if not body, and made an informed decision regarding his life and ultimately his death. Freud is a classic example of physician-assisted suicide. He was a patient who fought his malady for years, and after failing to be cured, sought to end his suffering in a legal, controlled manner. As human beings we deserve the right to decide for ourselves in a certain death situation when and how to go. When a person’s only options are living with a loss of trust in health care professionals, dignity, and quality of life, or attempting to commit suicide by himself, where is he supposed to turn for assistance and guidance? Why should he be forced to linger indefinitely and continue to suffer so that the government can feel it has done the decent, moral thing? Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized and is a decision that should be made by a patient and his physician, not by a judge and an appeals board.
In physician-assisted suicide, a physician gives a terminally ill patient a prescription for a lethal dose of narcotics to be self administered when the times comes that the effects of his disease are no longer controllable or tolerable. As of now, it is legal only in the state of Oregon. It has long been disputed for many reasons. Among them are religion, public opinion, and how to govern and restrict the process. As there is supposed to be a division of Church and State, religion should play no part in making this decision. According to a poll, “61% of people answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘Shall
Physician-Assisted Suicide
A Persuasive Essay
Deanna Peinsipp
English 211-02M
Instructor Elena Fitzpatrick
November 20, 2008 Suicide 2
Sigmund Freud died September 23, 1939. He fought jaw and throat cancer for over fifteen years before asking his doctor to help end his suffering. He died of a physician-assisted morphine overdose. He was of sound mind, if not body, and made an informed decision regarding his life and ultimately his death. Freud is a classic example of physician-assisted suicide. He was a patient who fought his malady for years, and after failing to be cured, sought to end his suffering in a legal, controlled manner. As human beings we deserve the right to decide for ourselves in a certain death situation when and how to go. When a person’s only options are living with a loss of trust in health care professionals, dignity, and quality of life, or attempting to commit suicide by himself, where is he supposed to turn for assistance and guidance? Why should he be forced to linger indefinitely and continue to suffer so that the government can feel it has done the decent, moral thing? Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized and is a decision that should be made by a patient and his physician, not by a judge and an appeals board.
In physician-assisted suicide, a physician gives a terminally ill patient a prescription for a lethal dose of narcotics to be self administered when the times comes that the effects of his disease are no longer controllable or tolerable. As of now, it is legal only in the state of Oregon. It has long been disputed for many reasons. Among them are religion, public opinion, and how to govern and restrict the process. As there is supposed to be a division of Church and State, religion should play no part in making this decision. According to a poll, “61% of people answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘Shall
References: Altmann, T.K. & Collins, S.E. (2007). Oregon’s Death With dignity Act (ORS 127.800- 897)): A health policy analysis Fiesta, J. (1997, May). Legal aspects of physician-assisted suicide. [Electronic version]. Nursing Management, 28 (5), 17 Fraser, S.I. & Walters, J.W. (2002, March). Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized Hall, R.T. (1994 November/December). Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. Rogatz, P. (2001, December). Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. [Electronic version]