Essays on Assisted Suicide

English 1110

Life-saving and postponing a patient’s death is a doctor’s main obligation and, undoubtedly, in most cases, the decisions that doctors make definitely make a difference to the outcome of a patient’s condition. Upon graduation, each doctor takes the Hippocratic Oath, which states that a doctor’s role is to practice medicine with honesty, give no deadly medicine, and use their best ability and judgment, when treating a patient, among others. However, there are times when a doctor is unable to help save a patient’s life resulting in the death of the patient. Doctors should not Continue reading...

Introduction

One of the most controversial issues during the last few years is the right to assisted suicide. It is a burning topic that raises debates all over the world, and patients with terminal illnesses insist on been given the right to choose whether they can end their life, with the help of a physician or not. Those against point mainly to their religious beliefs and morals to reject assisted suicide. Physicians are also divided on this matter because, to them; the line between providing relief from dying and killing is extremely thin and vaguely defined. No matter how viewpoints Continue reading...

Question #1

The early slaves that came into the United States experienced several difficulties at first. They did not have a common language thus making communication among themselves and with their masters very difficult. However with time they came up with ways to communicate and key among them was the ability to sing. When they came to the US as slaves, they brought African melodies, rhythms and instrumental techniques which they would use to compose different songs. Since they lived with the White people, they would get exposed to White people music which they fused with their own melodies to come Continue reading...

Introduction

Suicide refers to acts where people willingly end their own lives. Suicide may be self-inflicted or assisted. The perspectives to which people perceive acts of suicide vary according to religion and culture that is enjoyed by people in any given society. For instance, many western mainstream religions such as Christianity and Judaism tend to perceive suicide as an undesirable act that is caused by mental illnesses. However, certain cultures that uphold personal choices can make suicide more understandable and even in some situations honorable such as in cases where a person or a community is facing imminent persecution. Some Continue reading...

Dax Cowart’s Case

Dax Cowart should have been allowed to stop treatment. He was 25 years old during the accident and had full knowledge of his own capacity to tolerate the pain of treatments. He was also well aware of the quality of life that he would want for himself. The following sections describe his accident and treatments, relate the stand of Dax Cowart about his treatments, and discuss the rationale for euthanasia in the case of Dax Cowart.

The accident and treatments

The accident that changed Dax Cowart took place in 1973, in Henderson Texas. On their way home, Dax and his father stopped to Continue reading...

Patients and family of patients requesting assisted euthanasia need to be thoroughly informed about the issue and the potential impact of the act of euthanasia in their lives. Euthanasia is defined in the dictionary as mercy killing. This means that the patient is in so much pain or his/her dignity would be further degraded by his/her sickness that terminating his/her life would be more compassionate or merciful. From a medical perspective, euthanasia is referred to as the “act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition” (American Heritage Medical Continue reading...

Question #2

In case number 2, the ethical issue is Karen’s refusal to take a mammogram in spite of the mass detected in her breasts. As a gynecologist, I ought to protect my patient’s health and one way to do that is to examine her and to identify the true cause of the mass in her breast. However, regardless of my genuine concern for her wellbeing, she still has the right to decide whether to go for or against any treatment or test that concerns her body. I have the responsibility to respect her autonomy.
McCormick says that the Continue reading...

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Life has to get to an end. Every person has to taste the death. However, the type of death depends on the person's fate. Some people face death without going through any consequences while some has to undergo severe physical or emotional pain before death. Death can be natural or forced the death, which happen unnaturally is due to a suicide attempt. People commit suicide when they no longer to live, or they have lost the will to live because of various factors. The problems or issues Continue reading...

Introduction

Freedman’s commentary of nuclear deterrence being, C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la stratégie or ‘It is magnificent, but it is not strategy’ in English, may have been coined from the famous remark of French Marshal Pierre Bosquet while watching the British light cavalry wipe itself out in The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in the Crimean War of 1854 in which he exclaimed, “C'est Magnifique, Mais Ce N'est Pas La Guerre” or ‘It is magnificent, but it is not war’. In a similar note, Freedman is implying that the possession of nuclear Continue reading...

Introduction

The topic euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide remains to be a topic of concern across various settings all around the globe. Speaking of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, this connotes to the deliberate instigation of death of an individual for the sole benefit of that individual. The scope of physician-assisted suicide can be traced back to the close of the year 1990, when Dr. Kevorkian Jack, retired pathologist utilized assisted suicide to help one of his patients (Gorsuch 24). Since this episode, the topic on assisted suicide has evolved into one of the most equivocal topics. In fact, this topic has Continue reading...

‘The Suicide Plan’ is a ninety minute documentary film that reflects the shadows of assisted suicides. The main focus of the movie revolves round incidents that dictate underground actualities people who assist others to make an end to their lives. The movie portrays personal stories to establish its relevance with the frequency of the suicides around the United States. Assisted suicide is illegal in almost all the states.
The Suicide Plan is directed, produced and written by Miri Navasky and Karen O'Connor. It represents a vital conversation which is directly linked with the humanity itself. It is worth to Continue reading...

Introduction

Euthanasia is the act of providing assisted, voluntary or involuntary death to a patient, mostly terminally ill patients (ANA, 2013). Euthanasia can be administered by the physicians and nurses on request of either the patient, the relatives of a patient who is not in a position to make a request or by the physicians and the nurses depending on the condition of the patient. Euthanasia is an issue that has raised questions not only in the health care system but also in the legal system (ANA, 2013). It is surrounded by moral, social, cultural and religious challenges and finding Continue reading...

A thesis in support of physician-assisted suicide

- Introduction:

My Thesis for this essay is “The Right to Die.”

The “Right to die” is fundamentally the decision of if a person has the right to choose to die when her/his life could be extended by life support. Through this thesis, I attempt to make an argument for this issue. I believe that a person must have the right to make this choice, legally and ethically. For the purpose of supporting my thesis; I will explain the historical and current system on the topic, the laws regarding euthanasia, real-life examples, and my recommendation why euthanasia should be legalized.
- The History and Present of Physician-Assisted Suicide:
Over Continue reading...

The emergence of the euthanasia practice is a topic that has elicited a sharp debate in the global world. The practice presents itself when physician terminates the life of the patient with the sole reason of reducing suffering. During the mentioned condition, the patient may request the termination of his/her life in order to reduce the suffering. The Catholic, human activists, and other concern authors have raised their strong opinion on the mentioned practice. Catholic Church spoke strongly through Sacred Congregation for the doctrine of faith. The declaration strong implores the Christians and non-Christians to fully distance themselves from Continue reading...

The term «euthanasia» has a Greek origin and it means a «good death» (pleasant, beautiful). In ancient Greece euthanasia had no medical meaning and meant a happy death for their country. An English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) introduced the term euthanasia into the scientific usage. In 1623 in his work «On the dignity and enhancement of science» (2008) he said that doctors not only have to restore health, but also relieve pain and anguish even when there is no hope. In such cases doctors have to make the death easy and quiet. In his work Bacon outlines the modern Continue reading...

- Introduction
Euthanasia, sometimes called assisted suicide, is the practice of allowing an individual suffering from a significant, terminal illness or injury to end their life before the injury or illness takes them. The idea of euthanasia is to allow the individual freedom from pain and suffering; proponents of the practice suggest that euthanasia allows people to avoid the pain and humiliation that can come from long-term palliative care.
Euthanasia is a process through which medical personnel or families help the patient to end his or her life. There are certain situations that are not considered euthanasia-- such as “ Continue reading...

Introduction

This research paper considers and evaluates the arguments propounded by Rachels (2002) regarding both active and passive forms of euthanasia. In order to be clear on the precise meanings of those terms, it is appropriate to define them before discussing these topics. The research undertaken for this paper will validate Rachels’ views on the issue, which are essentially that there should be no moral or ethical distinction between the two types of euthanasia – basically because in many instances active euthanasia is in fact more humane, because it drastically shortens the duration of the individual’s pain and suffering.

Active and Passive Euthanasia Defined

Active Continue reading...

On November 1, 2014 29-year-old Brittany Maynard committed suicide to spare herself a long drawn-out death from a stage 4 malignant brain tumor. Unlike many other Americans who commit suicide, Maynard announced her decision online weeks prior to her death and brought the issue of euthanasia into national headlines. Maynard’s family and physicians will not face charges because Maynard happened to live in Oregon, one of only five states that allows doctor-assisted euthanasia. The other states are Montana, Washington, Vermont and New Mexico. Maynard, originally from California, had to move herself and her family to Oregon in order Continue reading...

Introduction

The term “euthanasia” has been dubbed as a form of “mercy killing”, which can be accomplished by doing a particular act which is unlawful or by some act of omission that is considered as lawful. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) had become the most talked about controversial issues around the world. Euthanasia is referred to as the administration of drugs with the explicit intention of terminating the life of the patient at his or her explicit request (Siu, 2010, p. 169). On the other hand, the physician-assisted suicide or “PAS” is recognized as the act of prescribing or supplying Continue reading...

Even if people refuse to acknowledge it, death is something that most fear. Despite being part of human’s natural existence, and something that is certain to happen to eveyone and everything that has life, some culture are not comfortable talking about death and has considered it a taboo topic. When it comes to this issue, people try to detach themselves and with this distancing, terminologies commonly uses to refer to it have grown in number through the years. Euphemistic language referring to death include “no longer with us,” “gone to meet their Creator,” “have passed on,” and others ( Continue reading...

The subject of patient rights is controversial and ties heavily into human rights. Individuals have the right to autonomous choice provided their choices do no harm to others. Individuals also have the right to live their lives as they see fit within legal and moral boundaries. However, how society defines legal and moral is often up for debate. One such debate is centered on the right of an individual to commit legal suicide when they are faced with certain, painful and lingering death. There are many viewpoints on this topic. One viewpoint shared by many is that an individual Continue reading...

The topic that I was assigned is the physician-assisted suicide. How is physician-assisted suicide viewed by the medical profession? Is physician-assisted suicide legal in the U.S? The ethical dilemma I am examining is, should this be a decision between a physician and the patients, or should it be controlled by the state? I believe this should be a matter that should be left between the physician and the patient.
A physician-assisted suicide refers to a situation where a medical practitioner or a physician facilitates the suicide of a patient. The process involves prescription of a controlled substance thus assisting Continue reading...

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I was humbled by his experience that at any time what we have in our midst can be taken away from us. Illnesses can come without preparing us. None of us would know what could happen and due to the fact that none of us can really be prepared. We have to learn that at one point whoever we are or whatever we do in life, we all need other people. There is nothing humiliating with asking for help. The social system theory proposed that in our existence we all need a good amount of social interaction, Continue reading...

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In a 6-3 ruling, the United States Supreme Court jettisoned a significant hindrance to state initiatives to legalize “physician-assisted suicide.” In their decision, the High Bench ruled that then Attorney General John Ashcroft decided without any legal mandate in 2001 when the government moved against the adoption of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. The decision removes a sizable obstacle to state policies such as the one in Oregon, which is the only state in the United States that allows physician-assisted suicide.
Though the Court’s ruling was founded on general administrative law, the decision was heavily Continue reading...

Introduction

Death, a journey all must embark on where none can ever turn back and this is a part of life that no one wants to deal with let alone deal with when it comes to a dying relative. However, there has been a lot of talk recently about physician assisted suicide when it comes to a dying relative and some physicians feel it is their obligatory duty to relieve that dying person of any pain that they might be experiencing. Some people feel that it is easier to do this to spare the dying of their pain depending on Continue reading...

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The word suicide implies self-killing, and it may be either assisted or unassisted. Physician-assisted suicide falls under the category of assisted suicide where the person providing backing is the doctor. A doctor assisting a patient of terminal cancer in taking his own life by providing him with the means or the information necessary for committing self-killing would be an example of physician-assisted suicide. The word euthanasia, also referred to as mercy killing, is often used synonymously with assisted suicide. It is a Greek word where ‘eu’ means right, and ‘Thanatos’ means death. The word euthanasia therefore Continue reading...

Public bureaucracy constitutes different categories of people that work in subsystem within the bureaucracy. In each category, there is clamor for power by the public officials. Subsystems present in the bureaucratic institution have broad outcomes. The subsystems vary in size from one locale to another. Most public organizations have several subsystems while some organizations have five. The gray areas between the boundaries signify lack of a clear boundary. The subsystems in various agencies exhibit proportions since they compete for influence and status (Stillman, 2009). Any subsystem in an organization permits adaptation to the issues that face it; in this Continue reading...

Medically Assisted Suicide- A Blessing for Patients in Terminal Conditions

Medically assisted suicide has been a topic of argument for several years and numerous cases are presented in courts where patients in terminal conditions and their relatives request for medically assisted suicide.
If government makes assisted suicide legal, many people can misuse this facility but it is a blessing for those who are in imminent terminal condition and long for death rather than the pain they are suffering. For instance one of my close relative of about 65 years was in coma for seven years and was alive through feeding tubes. Through medically assisted suicide, he got relief from Continue reading...

One of the major conditions to allowing a physician aided death, or physician aided suicide is that, the patient must voluntarily and competently request for the process without coercion from any other party (Battin, Rhodes, & Silvers, 1998). The multicultural society today requires multidimensional considerations of issues such physician aided death. However, research indicates that, little attention has been accorded the religious, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds, which shape the varied views on physician aided deaths (Mark, 2010). The conflicting cultural and religious viewpoints of physician aided deaths have been studied in different countries among the patients, families, and health professionals.
Continue reading...

The term assisted suicide refers to a state or situation in which an individual’s death is aided or fastened so that the death takes place within a brief while, as opposed to the standard time in which the same person would have taken to dying (Touhy & Ebersole.2014). Active euthanasia, on the contrary, refers to a situation in which medical practitioners do undertake activities that, in the end, lead to the eventual death of their patients. Either, passive euthanasia refers to situations whereby medical practitioners deliberately avoid execution of certain necessary actions that, in the end, result in the Continue reading...

- The legal issue surrounding flag burning and its verdict in relation to human rights
- The First Amendment
- Comparison between the Arab and Western world on human rights
- Conclusion
- Drawing comparison through cultural expressions
- Debriefing the two authors views
- Justification of Argument

Identification Number

March 22, 2014

Introduction
What are human rights? It’s the rights humans have. Anybody and everybody born on this planet, irrespective of their nationality, sex, color, religion, and language are equal before the law, and are thus, entitled to be treated equally without discrimination.
The majority of people in the Continue reading...

English

Euthanasia is simply a “euphemism” for death (Johnston). Many cases of people being euthanized are not being reported with the assumption of killing in the name of mercy by offering ultimately, good death (Pereira; The Telegraph). Whether it was part of the person’s living will or death wish, even with family members’ consent, termination of life prior to natural death is often due to long agony or continual suffering brought about by ‘dehumanizing’ factors such as vegetative condition, terminating illness, debilitating disease, long-time comatose, and so on.
Given such a scenario, pro-euthanasia group advocates for the basic human Continue reading...

Suicide and suicide attempts in the western world have long been considered criminal and punishable. Ancient Romans and Greeks prohibited most suicide, or suicide among the healthy, and punished those who committed suicide by denying them proper burial rituals (Rosenfeld 24). In England and the American colonies, laws continued to punish individuals who committed suicide by denying them a proper burial and both English and American laws found anyone assisting in suicide potentially guilty of murder. In the last several decades, questions about euthanasia and, specifically, the legality of physician-assisted suicide have repeatedly found their way into the legal Continue reading...

Euthanasia is a word derived from a Greek term eu thanos meaning good health. In medical terms it is defined as an act where a doctor intentionally ends the life of a person by the administration of drugs, at that person’s voluntary and competent request for reasons of compassion. This type of killing usually has mercy as motive thus its other name “mercy killing”. Euthanasia further implies a good death where the killing act should meet the criteria for “goodness” (Cavan, 41). This criteria maybe swift, relatively painless and causes minimal if any psychological suffering such as fear, Continue reading...

This paper is about whether physician assisted suicide should be allowed. Euthanasia has always been a controversial issue all over the world. This paper will look at physician assisted suicide and the arguments against and the arguments for as brought out by some philosophers like Kant and Jean Paul Satre. We will start with the arguments against physician assisted suicide, the arguments for and also other elements like the Hippocratic Oath which plays a major role in this topic of physician assisted suicide.
There are many philosophers who do not support physician assisted suicide. One of these philosophers is Continue reading...

The differences in gestures and practices across cultures of the world are a major issue in inter-cultural communication.

Quite troublesome for Americans is the fact that the peace sign is actually taken as showing the finger in countries like United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. To be exact, the palm should face outwards so that a person is not mistaken in this regard.
While in India and Albania the people use nodding their heads up-down and right-left as signs for “yes” and “no” respectively, in Bulgaria, the gesture is quite different in comparison. In Bulgaria, shaking one’s head left to right means “yes”, while up and down means a “no”.
In America and many other places, Continue reading...

English

Before I answer the question: “Should suicide or assisted suicide be legalized,” I would like to define first what suicide is. The term suicide means the killing of oneself. It is also known by the following synonyms or hyponyms: assisted suicide, felo-de-se, self-destruction, self-annihilation, seppuku, suttee, or hara-kiri. Similarly, assisted suicide is defined as the act of deliberately giving assistance or even encouraging an individual to commit or attempt to commit suicide. Many people consider suicide or assisted suicide are terminating one’s own life due to various psychological, financial, familial, communal, pathological, etc. reasons. Whether it is the Continue reading...

This essay discusses the laws concerning euthanasia in the United Kingdom and in other countries of the world. It also discusses the meanings of and the differences between the terms euthanasia (sometimes called “mercy killing”), terminal sedation and assisted suicide. According to “Euthanasia Statistics (July 2012), over half of all doctors support euthanasia, as do about 86 percent of members of the public surveyed, yet there are so few places where it is legal.
As Rhodes (2013) states, such issues “are highly controversial and opinions on whether they should be legalised are split.” As she also states, there are Continue reading...

End of life alternatives: physician assisted suicide and continue sedation

Introduction
Today, many people are dying in hospitals due to chronic disease which often call for a decision regarding the end of life. Sometimes, these decisions lead to the shortening of life and have often roused immense debate based on ethical implications. “Physician Assisted suicide” (PAS) remains one of the most debated subjects in ethical circles. This is whereby the physician provides a patient, at their own request, with a lethal form of medication which is self-administered by the patient. On the other hand, Continuous Sedation (CS) when used at the end of life takes or reduces the patient’ Continue reading...

Assisted suicide

Recently in the newspapers there was a man who killed his wife who was suffering from stage four cancer. In his defense, he said that the wife had asked him to kill her in order for her to stop feeling pain. The wife was no longer responding to pain medication and was in agony for several weeks. This act of mercy killing is called euthanasia.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is defined as the intentional killing of people in order to relieve them from pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a hotly debated topic. Critics believe that mercy killing is unethical. They believe that Continue reading...