Welling 1

To Die Or Not To Die

A few weeks ago I was watching the news when I saw Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old
woman with stage four terminal brain cancer, take her own life by consuming a legally prescribed
lethal medication. I was sad for her, of course, but I was also glad that she had that choice.
I think of my cat, Hector, whom I had for sixteen years. I loved him so much and he was
such an important part of my life for so long. But then, he grew old and sick. He got cancer and
he was no longer interested in eating. He lost control of his bladder and bowels. I knew it was
time. I watched as the veterinary doctor shaved his little arm. I stroked his back as the needle
slid in. It only took a few seconds for it to take effect. Hector was out of his pain. I have to
wonder, why can't we treat our fellow human beings as humanely as we treat our pets?
Physician assisted suicide is when a medical doctor helps a patient die by prescribing a
lethal overdose. The patient always has the final choice of whether to take it or not.
Physician assisted suicide (PAS), often called euthanasia, is gaining popularity in the
United States and around the world. For a long time Oregon was the only state which allowed
physician-assisted suicide in the United States. Now there are five states: Oregon, Washington,
Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico. The right to die movement has changed considerably in
the last ten years. There are now two national organizations Compassion and Choices (the one
that helped Brittany Maynard) and the Final Exit Network which look for ways to help suffering
and dying people find a speedy, peaceful and legal end to their lives if they choose.
There are many different terms for euthanasia, itself a generic term meaning help with a
good death. Some call it mercy killing, which is actually the taking of someone's life because

Welling 2
they are too ill to do so (this is unlawful). It can also be called assisted suicide or physicianassisted suicide, which is more common and which is the term I use in this paper. Finally, it can be
called voluntary euthanasia, which is actually death through lethal injection by a doctor when
requested by a patient (only lawful in the Netherlands and Belgium). As Derek Humphry, a long
time advocate of euthanasia said, I hope we all here are fighting for the ultimate civil liberty, the
right to choose to die when we wish and how we wish, no matter what it is called (Humphry
2011).
The right to die movement was popularized by Jack Kevorkian, an American pathologist
and euthanasia activist. He was known for championing a terminal patient's right to die via
physician-assisted suicide. He claimed to have helped 130 patients to that end and was known in
the media as Dr. Death. In 1999, Kevorkian was arrested, tried and convicted for a case of
voluntary euthanasia and spent over eight years in prison. Regarding his purpose, he said, My
aim in helping the patient was not to cause death. My aim was to end suffering. (Wells 2010)
There are many arguments for and against the right to die movement. Most of them make
sense. It is a confusing and controversial topic with a lot of gray areas. Opponents may say that
it violates the doctor's Hippocrates Oath. Upon receiving a medical degree, each doctor is
required to take a Hippocrates Oath which states, among other things, Do No Harm. Part of
the reason this oath was created was to reassure patients that their doctors only want to help
them. It is interesting, though, that the Hippocratic Oath has actually been modified on a number
of occasions.

It used to reference that women were not to study medicine. This obviously had

to be changed. To Do No Harm perhaps needs some changing too, or at least some

explaining. Couldn't it be considered that harm is being done by keeping a suffering person alive?
A convincing argument is that physician-assisted suicide decreases the value of human life.

Welling 3
Some people argue that life in any form has meaning, and that medicine's highest duty is to
preserve life, despite pain and suffering. This is especially relevant in the United States where we
put so much importance on human life. Many other countries do not. In the United States, each
individual life has meaning and value. Opponents of the right to life movement believe that
committing suicide, in whatever form, takes away that value.
Some believe that physician-assisted suicide could open the floodgates to non-critical
patient suicides and other abuses. They even believe it could be a slippery slope to legalized
murder. Any loosening of the assisted suicide laws could eventually lead to abuses of the
privilege especially with untreated depression or elder abuse. Most of those who are for
physician-assisted suicide believe it should be allowed only for those who are terminally ill and
have a limited amount of time left to live. They believe it should never be used on people who
are young, healthy and have a long life ahead of them.
There is the argument that doctors and families may be prompted to give up on recovery
time much too early. After all, can you really say beyond a shadow of a doubt that a person is
going to die in six months? There is always a slim chance of recovery or the possibility of
discovering a medical error.
I can see the opposing points of view but there are many reasons that physician-assisted
suicide should be legalized. The main argument that proponents have to justify physician assisted
suicide is to end the patient's tremendous amount of pain and suffering. Numerous ailments
result in a slow, agonizing death. What purpose does it serve to suffer endlessly until the body
finally gives out? The degree to which physical pain and psychological distress can be tolerated is
different for all humans. Quality of life judgments are private and personal, and really can only be
made by the sufferer with his/her close family if they chose. The choice for the patient is really not

Welling 4
to die, but to end suffering.
A person should be able to die with dignity rather than a shell of their former selves.
Dying patients often lose their ability to take care of themselves. They may vomit consistently, be
unable to talk and/or lose control of their bladder and bowels. Craig Evert was 59 and had ALS
(Amyotrophic Lateral Scelrosis - also called Lou Gehrig's Disease). He was completely paralyzed
and unable to swallow or breathe on his own. Just days before his death by patient assisted
suicide he told PBS, you can only watch so much of yourself drain away before you kind of look
at what's left and say this is an empty shell. We should let people die with their dignity, pride
and self-worth intact.
The right to die should be a fundamental freedom of each person. Nowhere in the
constitution does it say that the government has the right to keep a person from committing
suicide. In a country that is free, this should be a fundamental right.
An advantage of physician-assisted suicide which may not be thought of often, is that vital
organs can be saved, allowing doctors to save the lives of others. We have long lists for needed
hearts, kidneys, livers and other organs that can actually save people who can be saved.
Physician-assisted suicide allows physicians to preserve the vital organs for donation instead of
letting certain diseases run their full course, weakening and ruining the organs, thus rendering
them useless.
It must be stated that there are requirements for physician-assisted suicide. Not anyone
can request and receive it. First of all, the patient must be of a sound mind when they ask for a
prescription for a lethal dose of medicine. A psychologist or psychiatrist can be called in if
necessary if the patient's state of mind is in question. Also, two doctors must sign off on the
diagnosis stating that the patient has less than six months to live. And, finally, there must be two

Welling 5
witnesses to confirm the patient's request (one must be a non-doctor and unrelated to the patient).
I think again of Brittany Maynard and her personal and courageous decision. She was
able to die as she intended peacefully in her bedroom, in the arms of her loved ones.
I think also of my cat Hector, and how compassionate it was to be able to put him to sleep
and stop his suffering. I hope I never have to but I want to be able to do that for my loved ones
too, if necessary.
It may take awhile for physician-assisted suicide to become legalized in all the United
States, but as Carissa Zukowski stated, Any meaningful change starts with finding the courage to
confront adversity and be willing to find a solution (Zukowski 2014).
It is necessary and good to preserve life, but it is a basic human right for the one dying,
and no one else, to decide when life no longer holds meaning.

Works Cited
Humphry, Derek. Liberty and Death: A Manifesto Concerning an Individuals Right to Choose
to Die. Assistedsuicide.org. April 2011. Web.
Wells, Samuel. Introducing Christian Ethics. Medicalnewstoday.com November 2010. Web.

Welling 6
Zukowski, Carissa. Physician-assisted Suicide should be Legalized. The Johns Hopkins
Newsletter. jhunewsletter.com. April 2014. Web.