Today’s medical law does not permit doctor assisted suicides. I learned from a documentary, the issue of whether a doctor aiding a patient in committing suicide is ethical or not grew from the famous Dr. Kevorkian. Dr. Kevorkian successfully assisted about 130 terminal patients in committing suicide. He was then charged with second degree murder and served eight years of his 10-25 year prison sentence.
The story of Dr. Kevorkian led many to question whether a patient should have the right to commit suicide with the aid of their doctor if they are terminally ill. The purpose of a doctor assisted suicide is to end the patient’s suffering. Many believe that it is the patient’s right to decide if their life is worth continuing in the pain of death’s hands. Although, assisted suicide is illegal in the majority of the states. Family members of the terminally ill might be against assisted suicide because they want more time with their loved one and don’t want to see them die. Some religions say suicide is committed out of unknowing or confusion and will block the transcendence to the afterlife. I don’t think that either side is misrepresented because both have valid concerns for either wanting a loved one to live, or wanting to die if subjected to suffering for the rest of their life. In the case of Dr. Kevorkian, though, many see him as a criminal lacking morals or what’s right and wrong.
Arguments for euthanasia are quite compelling. The most interesting one I found said that the goal of medicine is to relieve suffering for people. That is essential what assisted suicide is; relieving the patient of their suffering. Those against euthanasia say that patients would be selfish or cowardly for wanting an assisted suicide.
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