Death Do Us Part

Death Do Us Part

When a patient is informed of imminent death due to a terminal illness there are three main things for them to consider. The first is that the patient will be allowed to die with as much dignity as possible. The second is that the patient does not become a burden to their family. The third reason is not to be any more of a financial strain than absolutely necessary. Many times these are impossible to control, considering how a terminal illness or a debilitating disease can affect your body, mind, and finances. For these reasons, physician-assisted suicide or active euthanasia should be legalized for those who meet certain criteria. These criteria include that the patient must be terminally ill. They must feel that life is not worth living because of pain, loss of dignity, or loss of capability. They must be competent and not suffering from depression and must repeatedly ask for help in committing suicide. The law needs to take in the wishes of those people who are ill and realize that those wishes should come before all others.

There are four different forms of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is when you speed up somebody’s death by turning off life support machines, not performing life saving techniques, or withholding food, water, or medications (OHD). In June of 1990 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of passive euthanasia when it passed a law letting patients refuse unwanted life-sustaining treatment if the patient had previously expressed that desire (Rottenberg, 447) The second and third forms are at times used interchangeably. The second form is active euthanasia, which is when a person requests and receives help in terminating their life (OHD). The third form is physician-assisted suicide where a doctor gives a patient information and the means to commit suicide (OHD). Presently Colorado is the only state in the United States with laws allowing doctor-assisted suicide. The law allows doctors to prescribe suicide pills to terminally ill patients with...

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