assisted suicide
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Killing Me Softly
If you are in great pain, and near death, should you have the right to ask your doctor to provide you with drugs to end the suffering, and your life? Should doctors be given the power to take away the life of a terminally ill patient as part of a legalized system of "mercy killings" which could lead to possible abuses (Maier NA)? These are just some questions brought up when the issue of doctor-assisted suicide is talked about. Although physician-assisted suicide may help the terminally ill, it legalizes killing by doctors, it is emotionally stressful for the family, and there is always a certain amount of risk involved.
A person suffering a great deal from a disease may find the only way to end that suffering is physicians-assisted suicide. The option of a physician-assisted suicide would allow patients to escape from the meaningless suffering prior to death (Leone 21). Vomiting, coughing, pain spasms, and losing control of excretory functions are just a few of the ways terminally ill patients may suffer. Also, imagine the mental pain a person has to go trhough, such as knowing that the pain is only going to get worse (Messerli NA). Dr. Jack Kevorkian says that "A physician is supposed to help patients maintain or regain health, and avoid suffering" (Leone 10)...