Essay Example on Assisted Suicide The constitution states that American

Assisted Suicide The constitution states that American citizens have a right to life and it cannot be taken away Staff par 2 However assisted suicide or euthanasia contradicts that statement A majority of people feel that euthanasia is unethical and most claim that euthanasia is not supported by their religion Meanwhile some people support the idea and believe that ultimately it is the patient s choice There are many factors that play an vital role in assisted suicide or euthanasia such as a person s religion ability to find a willing physician and learning about the requirements to have the procedure Many religions denominations reject the idea of euthanasia stating that the act of suicide in any form goes against their faith Margaret Haerens says that the Catholic community perceives assisted suicide as a serious transgression against God and family The source Death with Dignity says American Baptists accepted a policy that works in the medical community to help focus on the goals of medicine dignity suffering and respect for a person s life ending Death with Dignity Southern Baptists say this end of life choice corrupts the spirituality of human existence Death with Dignity Social commentators like Steve Siebold have a secular outlook on euthanasia as he states that the choice to undergo the pain of a terminal illness based on a person s faith should not affect other people who obey laws based on their religion 

Other denominations such as the Methodist church are encouraging of an individual s freedom Some districts are even broadly accepting the idea of physician assisted suicide Death with Dignity Religion is a very important factor in the process that can help a patient determine their fate but another factor that is just as essential is finding a willing supportive physician to assist you The title physicians come with a lot of different responsibilities and making the decision to assist a patient in suicide can be a critical one Chethan Sathya says many doctors worry that the option to commit medical suicide will be exploited However other doctors have quite a different opinion Dr James Downar states that patients may be afraid of being vulnerable due to such a harsh illness and perhaps even afraid to lose independence Sathya Sathya worries that by giving a patient lethal injections it will break the bond between a physician and a patient making doctors seem inhumane for assisting in the patient s death Doctors such as Jack Kevorkian show true dedication to assisting patients Kevorkian started his career as a pathology resident working on death row inmates After retirement he became committed to helping patients commit suicide Patients Rights Council An example that leads to the common misconception of euthanasia is 44 year old Nathan Verhelst who was euthanized after a botched gender change that caused intense psychological pain Sathya Alois Geiger states that some patients have expressed that they cannot live with the pain and suffering caused by the terminal illness they may have 

Despite the negative aura connected to euthanasia there are some doctors who believe that it is a reasonable and less barbaric way to make such a life to end decision Witnessing euthanasia can be a life altering experience but knowing the requirements for the process and finding a place to be legally euthanized can help Several surveys suggest that ending a patient s life without a reasonable request is more likely to occur in other countries where patients can legally ask doctors to assist in the procedure Singer Another source Marcia Angell explains the process saying euthanasia applies only to adults that are capable of making the decision and cannot be used through advance directives or by people who are mentally incompetent Another qualification is that the patient must have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of no more than six months which is determined by multiple physicians Angell In the United States euthanasia is only legal in California Colorado Oregon Vermont Montana Washington and Washington DC with a minimum age of 18 ProCon org The patient must also provide two oral requests for the prescription s spread out by at last 15 days with one form of a written request with two witnesses present Angell Angell says No physician is required to participate in assisted dying he or she may refuse for any reason whatsoever This is a choice not a requirement for both patients and physicians No matter what the circumstances are some people continue to suffer intolerable and unwavering pain and they should not have to unwillingly suffer through it Mendelson Scott Mendelson states A final and perhaps more complex question is on what basis would we establish criteria to define the conditions and forms of suffering that might justify suicide In conclusion euthanasia is a serious and life altering event and should be looked into carefully before misused A person s decision to be euthanized ultimately affects the people around them Many people are straddling the fence or completely against the idea of a physician assisted suicide or suicide in general There are many requirements before a person can actually go through with the procedure The crucial components that play into assisted suicide are a person s beliefs finding a physician who agrees doing the procedure legally and knowing the necessities