The Choice Between Life and Death

Julian Buck
Analytic Writing: Research Paper

The Choice Between Life and Death
(A paper in defense of Doctor Assisted Suicide)

A terminally ill patient sits in his hospital bed thinking about all of the decisions he has made over his lifetime. He knows his life is coming to an end, but he doesn't know when. His mind is like time bomb, ticking away with uncertainty until it ticks no more. He wants it to stop, but it doesn't. He looks to his doctor for aid, but due of the laws of the society he lives in, the patient has to sit out the rest of his life in high anxiety. This makes him ask the question, Why can"t I make one final decision? Why can't I make the choice between life and Death?

In definition, doctor assisted suicide, (also known as physician assisted suicide,) is the ability of a patient to end his or her own life with the assistance of their doctor or physician. Over the past two decades in the United States, doctor assisted suicide has become as debatable as abortion or gay marriage. Affecting the elderly, terminally ill and the families of those who wish to die, doctor assisted suicide has sparked many political debates between those for doctor assisted suicide and those who consider helping someone die as equivalent to murder. Until the early 1990's, doctor assisted suicide was illegal in all 50 states and was generally not spoken of by the media. It wasn't until the emergence of one man, Jack Kevorkian, that the fight for the "right to die" took flight.

Revered as a saint by his supporters and abhorred as a killer by his opponents, Jack Kevorkian is the single most important reason why assisted suicide has come out of the shadows and into the public spotlight. Having personally been involved with no less then 130 mercy killings, this radical icon has been dubbed "Dr. Death" by news agencies world wide. Having been credited with the invention of the Mercitron, (a device created to assist people wishing to die,) Kevorkian has sat and watched as patients with incurable diseases take their own lives by way of carbon monoxide poison. The devotion Kevorkian has shown towards his cause has led him to gain near "divine savior" status in the eyes of those he helped. An example of this is shown in a statement made by Steven Fairfax, age 36, the son of Martha Fairfax, Kevorkian's fifteenth mercy patient. When speaking with Sue Woodman, author of Last Rights: The Struggle Over the Right to Die, he said, "If I was ever in a situation like mom's, [Martha Fairfax] I wouldn't hesitate to come see Jack. Dr. Kevorkian has been a breath of fresh air to me and my entire family throughout these troubled times and we will always love him for what he has done for us."

Even more Recently, Kevorkian has shown that he will stay true to his beliefs and that he wishes to help change assisted suicide laws around the US. On March 24th, 2008, Kevorkian made the announcement that he will be running for Congress as an independent and plans to show that right-to-die patients are protected under the little-known 9th amendment of the US Constitution. Although Kevorkian knew that he would face stiff opposition from the government, he decided he would take them head on. The San Diego Union Tribune has quoted him saying, "You've been trained to obey it [the laws], not fight for it because the tyrant [the government] doesn't like that." The conviction Kevorkian has shown has spurred many political activists into action, as shown in Oregon.

In November, 1995, Rick Miller, A terminally Ill cancer patient from Portland, Oregon, ate a bowl of highly barbiturate laced apple sauce handed to him by his doctor. With his family at his hospital bedside, Rick exchanged smiles and kisses, closed his eyes and fell into a deep and infinite sleep. A situation like this makes you wonder, With the knowledge of the Illegality of doctor assisted suicide in the United States, how could something like this possibly come to fruition? The answer is fairly simple. In 1994, The Oregon state legislature put an act on the ballot which, if passed, would not only make doctor assisted suicide possible; it would make it legal. With 51 percent of the vote, the act, known as the Death With Dignity Act, was passed. The Death With Dignity Act allows for physicians to prescribe lethal doses of barbiturates, such as Seconal or Pentobarbital, to terminally ill patients. These doses ensure that the patient dies peacefully under his or her own will. Although the act was blocked by lower courts for three years, it now stands as a pillar of success; proof that the US is beginning to believe in the rights of those who wish to die.

Although the US is showing progression in favor of doctor assisted suicide, there are still those who remain loyal to the beliefs that assisting one die is a heinous criminal act. These groups are generally made up of right-wing extremist christians, such as Catholic philosopher Richard Doerflinger. Doerflinger actively supports the Catholic churches position that doctor assisted suicide is murder and should be opposed at all costs, and has spoken at churches around the US promoting his views. With "the will of God" behind him, Doerflinger believes that what he is doing is the right thing, and has gone as far as assaulting a physician who had taking part in an assisted suicide case. Upon being arrested, he stated "With God as my witness, I shall not allow these murderers to get away with their crimes!" Though not publicly in agreement with Doerflinger's actions, the Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities has said that " ...it is religion's position to show the value of life...".



Bibliography

Woodman, Sue. Last Rights: the Struggle Over the Right to Die. New York, NY: Plenum Press, 1998.

Eggert, David. "Assisted Suicide Advocate Kevorkian Formally Announces Run for Congress." San Diego Union Tribune 24 Mar. 2008. 24 Mar. 2008

Humphry, Derek. "What Do You Call an Assisted Death?" AssistedSuicide.Org. 9 Nov. 2006. Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization (ERGO). 24 Mar. 2008 .

Haber, Joram Graf. "Physicians Should Grant Requests for Assistance in Suicide." Opposing Viewpoints: Problems of Death. Ed. James D. Torr and Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LIRN. 25. Mar. 2008 .

Halloran, Liz. "Of Life and Death." U.S. News & World Report. 139. 13 (Oct. 10, 2005): 31. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LIRN. 25 Mar. 2008. .