Our right to die

When we think of freedom of choice what comes to mind? Freedom to vote, the choice to get married and start a family? In America, we even have the right to abort a fetus. Why then should we not have the freedom to die?

The word suicide usually brings about images and thoughts of a depressed, lonely person, simply mad at the world for their existence. This is a huge misconception; there is another side to the act of suicide. A side that brings the cease of pain and drawn-out death, an act of self-love when one can no longer bare the burdens of suffering. As a human death is something that no one can or will escape, but the right to die with dignity is defiantly at stake without much needed legal reform we will be robbed of an important decision.

In my own life experiences as a daughter of someone who was forced to suffer a slow and agonizing death against his will, and a woman who suffers from a painful and potential debilitating illness, for which there is no cure. I fully support and defend my right to die with dignity and pride when I choose to do so.

The Facts

A majority of people in the United States die in pain, drawn out due to their desires and wishes being ignored. (www.religioustolerence.org) when my father became ill in 2005 after a minor outpatient procedure, he had to be put on life support. When my father would wake up he would try to pull out the ventilator, he was in a lot of pain and was suffering a great deal, but to my dismay, I had no say- so over his care because of the lack of a present living will. As time passed, he was weaned off the life support machine and had to have a tracheotomy, feeding tube, and several other procedures. My father was no longer able to speak, he could not walk, and all he was left to do was suffer in a

nursing home. My father then began to take out the tracheotomy tube with each attempt he made he was labeled as senile. My father was not crazy he had just had enough. He had enough suffering, enough being someone who simply existed. Eventually my dad began to speak and let the doctors know that he was done, me in my selfishness wanted to keep him here with me longer. In just a little bit over a year after this horrific ordeal, he passed away. My father spent many needless days and months suffering I cannot imagine being forced into such a position.

There are several types of euthanasia, Voluntary euthanasia, when the person who is killed has requested to be killed. Non-voluntary When the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. Involuntary euthanasia When the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. Assisted suicide someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor, who helps another person to kill himself or herself it is called "physician assisted suicide." Euthanasia by Action Intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia by Omission Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. (www.euthanisia.com/definitions)

Although there are several places where voluntary euthanasia is legal, almost all fifty of the United States has laws that make physical assisted suicide illegal. There have been many lawsuits and criminal court proceedings ruling against this act of compassion. One of the most famous is that of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, when he assisted in the suicide of a terminally ill patent with Lou Gering's disease. As a result of this televised assisted

suicide, Kevorkian was charged with first degree murder, and convicted of murder in the second degree in March of 1999. Even though he was labeled as a murder and criminal, it is my sole belief that this was an act of compassion and mercy. To this day Kevorkian supports the right to die with dignity.

The Argument

Politicians and religious fanatics alike oppose the right to die movement. It is said that one who wants so much to die is only crying out for help. (www.humanlife.org) On a religious basis, there are two arguments usually present. One is that Life is a gift from God, and that "each individual [is] its steward." Therefore, anyone who takes a life is committing a mortal sin against God. (www.religioustolerence.org) The second argument is that “God will never give you more than you can handle, everything happens for a reason”. Most religious statements about suicide are merely scare tactics such as “you will go to hell.” On the other hand, from a personal standpoint, I cannot see that God would want anyone to suffer. The struggles of mankind are not from God therefore, why would God want to punish someone who is only doing what is best to keep them from suffering?

Families of people suffering are sometimes selfish as I once was. It is believed that you should keep your family close to you and at any cost preserve life. As someone who was once in this position I can now see how truly wrong I was. As someone suffering from Lupus SLE, I can see that when I become too ill to take care of myself I would rather be dead than be a burden on my husband and children. I would much rather their memories of our time together be happy ones not ones of me in a bed dying a slow

and painful death. Where they would have to feed me or possibly watch me starve. I could never put anyone I care for in that type of physical and emotional turmoil.

The government is taking steps to legalize euthanasia in the United States. On March 6, 1996, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found in the Fourteenth Amendment a "liberty interest" in assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill adults seeking to determine the timing and manner of their deaths. However, in the summary (lettered H) of Part IV ("Is There a Liberty Interest"), Judge Stephen Reinhardt writes in his majority opinion, "Our conclusion is strongly influenced by, but not limited to, the plight of mentally competent, terminally ill adults. We are influenced as well by the plight of others, such as those whose existence is reduced to a vegetative state or a permanent and irreversible state of unconsciousness." He further regards the decision of a surrogate decision-maker as equivalent to that of the patient, thus allowing someone else to beg the "liberty" of death for another unable to do so for himself. The ruling thereby erases the line between voluntary and involuntary killing and invites future cases to challenge the supposed limit to the competent, terminally ill. Judge Roger Miner, writing the majority opinion for the Second Circuit, issued April 2, finds no "liberty to die" in the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (www.pregnantpause.org)

We as a society are still very far away from legalizing assisted suicide. Perhaps if these members of our government were forced to suffer for twenty-four hours they would be able to show a little bit of compassion for humanity. A case in which the government was recently involved was that of Terri Schivo, A woman who was severely brain damaged in an accident in 1990. The controversy came about when the husband who says, “Terrie would not want to live this way” disagreed with her parents who were

willing to do anything to keep their daughter alive. Congress became involved when the court battles between the husband and the parents could not agree. After due process was reached and the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, Terrie was allowed to die. It is unfortunate that the whole situation could have been avoided if there had been a living will before her accident.(www.deathwithdignaty.org)

Euthanasia’s Past

Because of euthanasia throughout history, there is much negativity surrounding the subject. In October 1939, Adolph Hitler ordered widespread “mercy killings” of the sick and disabled. Termed “Akiton T 4, the Nazi movement planed to kill those that were deemed “life unworthy of life.” (www.euthanasia.com) This program began with young children from newborn to three years old who showed signs of disabilities being killed. Eventually the program extended to older children and adults with illnesses. Hitler however had ulterior motives in his orders to euthanize. Hitler wanted a pure race, free of illness. The morality of Hitler was defiantly imbecilic.

Positive Legalized Euthanasia Outcomes

Even though there are, people in the world who will take advantage of legalized assisted suicide the benefits outweigh the possibilities of death in the wrong hands. If you ask a person who is suffering, and has no will to live, what they think about dying they would more than likely say let me die. Suffering is not a way of life. When someone is faced with the fact, they are dying slowly, most spend their time tying up loose ends, and then they prepare themselves for death. In some cases, death does not come easy. Legalized euthanasia would help end the suffering of these people.

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize physician-assisted euthanasia. There are strict guidelines that must be upheld. The patient must be terminally ill with no possibility of recovery. The patient must be under the care of a physician for a certain amount of time. In addition, the patient must make a request from their physician to have assisted suicide. With guidelines such as these, a euthanasia program in all fifty of the United States would be successful.

In conclusion, I cannot imagine being forced to live against my will. I believe that voluntary euthanasia should be a legalized right. Consider the person who you may or may not know lying in the bed suffering in pain wanting nothing more than to die in peace and with dignity. It would be a great injustice to them or to any other living creature to force this suffering upon them.