Olivia Vanderlaan
Gilmore
English Honors 5
25 April 2018
Dying On My Terms
Do you ever wonder if when you come near the next phase of life if you will be able to determine it or not? People around the world view death with dignity as wrong and unethical. The Death with Dignity Act is not being violated, its not being used to its full potential, by the imposition of it being considered murder, doctors refusing to follow patients wishes, and its ability to aid people.
The Death with Dignity Act is able to allow terminally ill patients, request to be prescribed a medication that is self-administered to end their suffering. ”All patients who request it would be in a uncontrollable amount of pain.” (U.S. Health Division) It is requested by a patients who are fully competent when making the decision. “27% if the people were fully competent to make their decision.”(NRF) Each patient is giving all other options, if any remain. They must be diagnosed by two different doctors, and given less than six months to live. The patient may also change their mind at any given point. The Death with Dignity Act is only available in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana, Hawaii, California, Colorado, and Washington D.C. It first became an act that was fully recognized when Brittany Maynard, had requested to end her life after living with terminal brain cancer, and dealt with several seizures. “I am not suicidal. If I were, I would have consumed that medication long ago. I do not want to die. But I am dying. And I want to die on my own terms” (Maynard, CNN)
This has been challenged when Jack Kevorkian, also known as Dr. Death became famous for creating a machine out of a Volkswagen van to aid 130 terminally ill people into dying. “One of his lethal injections was televised and he was sentenced to eight years in prison.” (Rusche) He created a world of terror for most people that would not be able to trust this act anymore. As said in an opinionative, of primary research “There was a better understanding of death with dignity, than there was when Jack Kevorkian was assisting people.” (Snyder) It was more accepted, prior to Dr. Death, performing in the manor he did. The credibility of death with dignity, being for the patients who are clinically depressed have many issues of if they are in pain also. They might feel the need to be able to end their suffering in the same way as the patients who are terminally ill. “Advocates of assisted suicide suggest that individual should be able to determine their own dignity and quality of life, unrestricted by moral, religious or cultural beliefs.” (NMLS)
Is the death with dignity of any use to some people? “39.9 per 10,000 total deaths.” (D&D) in the state of Oregon alone. Not including the other states that allow death with dignity. “A total of 1,967 people have received prescriptions under the Act, and 1,275 patients have died from ingesting the medications.” (D&D) The statistic is since the act was passed in 1998. If it is up for question on its usefulness, it would have to be not used to its full potential.
The Death with Dignity could be argued as murder. It is not able to be considered murder because the person performing the action is the patient itself. Legal consent must be taken prior to receiving medication and the patient is not pushed to take it. They do when they are ready. The medication can be revoked at any time by patient permission.
Let the patient choose their ending and new beginning, in a comforting way. The Death with Dignity Act is not being violated, it is not being used to its full potential, being thought as murder, and the doctors not being able to help because of their personal beliefs.
Work Cited
“25 Surprising Physician Assisted Suicide Statistics” NRF, 13 July 2014. Web. 20
April 2018
“A Doctor’s View of Death with Dignity” Life Matters Media. 12 December 2013. Web. 24
April 2018
“Angel of Death: The Trial of the Suicide Doctor” Vanity Fair. Web. 19
April 2018
“Doctors debate about physician-assisted suicide” News Medical Life Science, May 1991. Web. 19 April 2018
Rusche, Dominic. “Dr. Death Jack Kevorkian, advocate of assisted suicide, dies in hospital.” June 2011. Web. 1 May 2018
Vanderlaan, Olivia, Primary Research Poll. Facebook. 30 April 2018