Ben Clausen

Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
November 18, 2014
The Right to Die
Lately, the discussion of Doctor assisted suicide has been a controversial issue among
people. Many people are against the idea of doctor assisted suicide. These people claim it would
be unethical, dangerous, and would be abused. However, others say that doctor assisted suicide is
sensible, fair, and safe, as well as part of a persons self-rights to end their own lives. The
Oregon Death with Dignity Act, passed in 1997, concerns many people of the former, as they say
it is often abused and dangerous. However, there are many safeguards that do well to prevent the
abuse over this act, which includes requirements to even be eligible for the doctor assisted
suicide. Although some may argue that doctor assisted suicide is an unsafe and unethical
practice, it is a fair and reasonable request that should be allowed in cases of unbearable and
terminal illnesses, and is part of a persons self-rights.
Although many people claim that physician-assisted suicide is an unethical process,
there are those who believe that denying the request is unethical. The process of letting people
slowly die in agony rather than quickly and much less painfully appears incredibly inhuman,
insensitive, and disrespectful of a persons free will to deny them an end to their misery
(Grohol). John M. Grohol, a psychologist and the founder of Psych Central, explains that a
doctors primary jobs is to relieve suffering and that physicians should help and individual
maintain their dignity by allowing them to choose to end their own suffering. Grohol compares

terminal illness to being imprisoned; both are a painful life experience that no person wants to
go through. It is not unethical to request life ending medication when there is nothing more a
person can do. Thaddeus Mason Pope, the director of the Health Law Institute at Hamline
University, explains that a person may want to end their life when they can no longer participate
in things they enjoy due to their unfortunate conditions. Most feared a loss of autonomy, dignity
and decreasing ability to participate in activities that made life enjoyable.
Pope goes on to describe the many safeguards that the Oregon Death with Dignity Act
has, all of which must be done to even have the option for assisted-suicide. All the patients who
have received life ending medications must be mentally healthy, 18 or older, and have had two or
more physicians determine that they have no more than 6 months to live. The safeguards also
ensure that patients are making a voluntary and informed decision, Pope explains. The
physician must also inform the patients about alternative options, including palliative care
(specialized medicine), pain management, and hospice (homes that provide care for the
terminally ill). Not only that, but patients must make three separate requests, twice oral and once
written, with 15 days in-between each oral request and the written request witnessed by at least
two other people. Even after the patient receives the medication, neither the physician nor doctor
may administer the medication- the patient themselves must administer the medication to ensure
that they have full control over the decision to end their life.
However, there are those who believe that Doctor-assisted suicide is an unethical and
dangerous. Ira Byock, a professor at Dartmouths Geisel School of Medicine, argues that assisted
suicide would be an abused power that doctors and ill patients should not be able to make.
When doctor-induced death becomes an accepted response to the suffering of dying people,
logical extensions grease the slippery slope argues Byock. Last year in Holland, where

voluntary euthanasia is permitted, over 40 people sought and received euthanasia for depression
and other mental illness. Byock uses a specific example of a Dutch mother of two allowed to
die because of a ringing in her ear to better prove his case of abused power. He also explains that
patients who may be eligible for physician-assisted suicide, such as advanced cancer patients,
may not be deemed eligible for hospice under Medicare or Medicaid because they are too
healthy.
While the opposition has several valid points, there are also several flaws with this idea.
While there are chances of people abusing the power to end their own lives, the likelihood of that
is extremely unlikely, as only around 40 people in all of Holland, an entire region of Europe,
were granted the access to life ending drugs for non-life threatening illnesses. While it may also
be true that several people may be eligible for doctor-assisted suicide but not Medicare or
Medicaid, this is still very likely an extremely small percent of the population. The idea of
assisted suicide is not meant for treatable illnesses, and is also in favor of a majority of U.S.
citizens. Anita Freeman, the sister of a Stage 4 cancer patient, says A new poll shows nearly
two-thirds of California voters favor the right to die peacefully and with dignity, including a
majority of support from nearly every demographic group. While the idea of Doctor assistedsuicide isnt perfect, it does provide relief for patients will terminal pain and the families affected
by them.
Doctor assisted suicide is not something that should be taken lightly, and should be
thought about long and hard before acting on. It is, however, something that should be allowed
for anyone with a life ending terminal illness, and should be provided to them. Not only does a
person have the right to decide what to do and how to treat their own body, they have a choice of
whether they want to end their own lives or not. It is meant to relieve the pain of people who

want to end their lives with dignity instead of carry on their lives with pain and suffering, not for
those with minor or treatable illnesses like so many people think that it is for. While people may
argue that it is unsafe and unethical, it is undoubtedly a reasonable request for those that are
suffering, and should not be denied to those that truly want it.

Work Cited
Pope, Thaddeus Mason. "Oregon Shows That Assisted Suicide Can Work Sensibly and
Fairly." Room for Debate. New York Times, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

Grohol, John M. "Denying Someone a Peaceful Death Can Be Unethical." Room for
Debate. New York Times, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

Byock, Ira. "Doctor-Assisted Suicide Is Unethical and Dangerous." Room for

Debate. New York Times, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

Freeman, Anita. "Everyone Deserves to Die with Dignity." Room for Debate. New
York Times, 6 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.