Why assisted-physician death should be legal
Everyone in this country (excluding the pro-life topics) deserves the right to live. But don’t you also deserve the right to die?
Our country as a whole does not support this right.
Let just clarify before continuing, this is not written to encourage or endorse murder and suicide! It’s a nonstarter that murder and suicide are both actions that require immediate intervention and support from our judicial system!
However, there are circumstances that are not as black and white as murder and suicide. If you are at a stage of life where your physical health is rapidly deteriorating and your quality of life is diminished, is it cruel of our government to force you to continue living in pain?
If it is cruel of the government to do this, it begs the question of whether or not physician-assisted (also known as physician-assisted suicide) to be legalized in all 50 states?
Here’s a little bit of context to describe what exactly PAD is, and how it is provided. PAD is currently legal in select states of America and in the countries of Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The nine states that have legalized PAD are Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine (in September of 2019), New Jersey (in August of 2019), Oregon, Vermont and Washington. All of these nine states have similar qualifiers: the patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness and six months or less to live. The method of PAD varies but it usually involves a prescription from a licensed physician in the state the individual is a resident of. Some general information and facts about the legalization of PAD in certain states will be included here.
The relevance of this is that Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17 of Lower Merion, will introduce a death with dignity bill during this 2019 session. Sen. Leach has tried to pass this bill throughout the years, but it has yet to make it to the judicial committee.
This bill needs to be passed because it should be a right that everyone is entitled to. The government has no right to step in and determine what someone gets to do with their life. It is not only an infringement of governmental control, but this bill carries unfairly biased weight.
It is also not the government’s right to judge someone’s quality of life. Unfortunately, individuals suffering from chronic illnesses (and lower life expectancies) may not be able to enjoy as many freedoms and activities that many healthy individuals take for granted. PAD can be an option for those who do not want to witness the loss of autonomy, independence or deterioration. Individuals who fit the criteria for PAD should be able to reach out to their physician and be able to die in their own state, without having to commute to either a state in the U.S. or another country.
In addition, PAD may provide financial relief for families who are needing to pay various medical bills, who would contribute more as their loved one’s condition worsens. While this may sound callous, it could provide more relief and assurance to help both the family and individual through this tough decision.
Legalizing PAD shows that we support the wellbeing of those who are chronically ill. It means that we are sympathetic of the unbearable pain that they endure on a daily basis. Passing this bill means that we recognize the choice that these individuals deserve to have.