Constantly people have debated whether physician-assisted suicide is humane or not. Doctor's have given their opinion on whether or not they have assisted in the death of their sick patients, or whether they would do it if they had the chance. In the article, E. Wes. Ely, a doctor explains his experience with a patient of his who was suffering from lung fibrosis and pneumonia. The patient was clearly about to die and Ely writes the thought process he went through when asked by his patient, to "help [him] die." Last year, in AP English, one of the debate topics during our debate unit was the idea of physician-assisted suicide. One side claimed this should become legal following a few guidelines like the patient must be terminally ill and about to die within the next few months.
Although my debate was not on this topic, I strongly believe in physician-assisted suicide. My dad being a cancer doctor himself, I have constantly seen him come home, extremely distraught and agitated because he knows his patient is suffering. I believe it is unfair to make a person continue to live and suffer through the pain when they aren't even happy, and when they don't wish to live anymore. Of course, there are religious reasons which makes this issue so controversial; how in most religions committing suicide is a "sin." But when a person is in so much pain they no longer wish to live, why would you want them to suffer through that any longer just for your own personal reasons?
Do you believe physician-assisted suicide should be legal or illegal? What regulations or conditions should be implemented if it is made legal (ie patient must be terminally ill).
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/opinions/caregiving-what-its-like-to-be-me-wes-ely-opinion/index.html
12 comments:
I think physician assisted suicide should be legal because it is the persons choice to decide if they want to live in pain or not. No one besides them knows how their terminal disease affects them, and it most likely stresses them, and their families out constantly worrying. Although if I were a doctor Im not sure if I would want to perform the death, I still believe it is the patients choice.
I believe physician assisted suicide should be legal because it's ultimately one's choice. I think when a patient is terminally ill they should be able to make that choice for themselves.
Physician assisted suicide should be legal because the concept of a consensual murder doesn't really make sense. If someone wants their doctor to help them commit suicide, than it becomes a lethal treatment, not murder; it is only only murder if the patient does not consent. People have a right to their deaths, and being forced to live sounds like the plot of a horror movie. If their physician and patient are both willing an assisted suicide, the government should not criminalize it.
While I probably wouldn't want to be the doctor to deliver the
euthanasia, I don't believe that a person who is suffering and will
die soon should be forced to suffer more. Each person should
have control over his or her own body, and I don't think this is any
sort of exception. If people are able to come to an informed
conclusion that they no longer want to live, that wish should be
respected.
If assisted suicide is made legal, I think that there should be a decent process that one has to go through to actually die, but it shouldn't be a strenuously long and arduous process because that just means someone with a painful illness has to experience that pain for a longer period of time. At the same time, no one wants patients making irrational, split second choices just because they're in a lot of pain that could very well be temporary.
Similar to what Connor said, if physician-assisted suicide is made legal, there need to be regulations put in place, for example, maybe at least a psych evaluation to ensure that people aren't abusing this choice. Death, suicide, especially, should never be taken lightly and people who are considering choosing physician-assisted suicide need to think through these decisions. There could be a waiting period, like with abortions, so the patients are confident with the choice that they make.
It's hard to say if it should be legal or not. There are many reasons why it should be/should not be legal. If it is legal, there does need to be some conditions and regulations. LIke the patient should sign forms from the hospital saying it's ok to pull the plug on them, so there isn't a big problem then. Another regulation should be that the family member should do it instead of the doctor unless the family tells the doctor to do it for them.
Both of my parents are doctors, with my dad being an ER doctor who sees patients suffer and die on a regular basis. Yes, it is a depressing part of the job, but it is a part of the job. The physician's duty is to heal, and anything that might distract that objective is not in the realm of a doctor's profession. They are paid to preserve life, not to be executioners or to assist in suicide. By introducing the power of physicians to essentially administer death, there is a certain unspoken trust between the patient and the doctor that is fundamentally damaged. Moreover, there is infinite capacity for mistakes or misjudgements, such as if the patient has mental issues or is simply premature in asking for PAS, and death sentences do not automatically lead to death. In my opinion, seeing patients suffer is a part of the job, and ultimately once a patient is in the hospital, it is the doctor's duty and the object of his/her training to try to save the patient. As unfortunate as it is, people ought to know what they're getting into before they choose to become doctors. Note: I have no religious motives behind my perspective, that is simply what I feel is proper.
I agree with Daniel that the primary job of a doctor is to save and preserve life, and I think allowing patients to be euthanized conflicts with that role. There must be strict regulations like requiring them to have lost autonomy of their body or be in extreme pain if euthanasia were to be legalized because I can see potential problems such as family members trying to kill a dying elderly relative for their inheritance. Perhaps a third party could be euthanizing patients instead of doctors doing it as Zack suggested.
I agree with the idea that physician assisted suicide should be legal because people decide what happens with their life. Of course, the doctor should play a role in trying to keep them alive, but if they are set on that goal, and they are truly suffering, it would be unfair to keep them suffering. I think the biggest criteria should be that the person is terminally ill and shows a very strong willingness to die despite a lot of convincing.
I think that physician assisted suicide should be legal. A doctor's role is to try to save one's life, however, if one is suffering then they should be able to help them relieve their pain. There needs to be a certain extent to which a doctor is able to do this. The patient must be terminally ill and be in an abundance of pain and suffering. Also, I think that there should be multiple opinions on a certain patient before the physician assisted suicide takes place.
I think physician-assisted suicide should be legal because it is the patient's choice what they want to do with their lives. If they do not wish to suffer through whichever terminal disease they have, forcing them to live through it only for them to die at the end of the term is inhumane in my opinion. That said, I think physician assisted suicide should only apply to the terminally ill. Some people may wish to die a peaceful death while they retain their personality and self so that their families and friends can remember that of them. It is often more preferred than watching their sickness devour who they are to a point their own families may not recognize them.
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