Legalization of
Assisted Suicide for People Suffering from Terminal Illnesses
The
pain individuals undergo when suffering from illnesses that are well known to
be incurable is thrilling. More often than not, the agony these patients pass
through is one that nobody can ever imagine. Suffering from an illness that
cannot be treated is one scenario that has seen many families live in abject
poverty. They spend all of their resources with the hope that their person
would be well, notwithstanding the fact that it would yield nothing positive.
Reports have indicated the endless suffering and excruciating pain that all
those attached to these people go through. Knowing that they can do nothing
since the law does not allow assisted suicide often bring in more trauma to
them. It is amazing that when people are facing death, in their darkest and
most desperate moment in life, nobody could offer a little aid since the law
bars the assistance. Nevertheless, the antagonist of euthanasia claims that
legalizing assisted suicide amounts to state-sanctioned suicide. The paper thus
has the primary goal of informing on the benefits of assisted suicide to the
society, families, and to the government.
At
the forefront of the importance of assisted suicide is that it eliminates the
guilt of a dying patient of being a responsibility to the family. Families
spend all the resources at their disposal to help treat and cure their loved
one. More often, it reaches a point where the family can no longer foot the
bills because they have drained all their coffers with the hope of having their
person recover (Hendry et al. 18). With assisted suicide, once the physicians
have examined the patient and found that he or she cannot make it, the family
would not have to continue utilizing their resources to have the patient
treated but rather keep the resources they have for future use even after the
death of their loved ones. Such makes the families remain stable even after
their breadwinner dies.
Additionally,
allowing assisted suicide make the patients die with dignity and in a humane
way. Most terminal diseases are characterized by endless pain and agony. Such
make the patients live a life of rejection and suffering consistently. Allowing
assisted suicide would ensure that the patient does not suffer much and dies in
a humane way. It is disturbing to watch a family member who according to
physician’s examination, cannot live lie helplessly on the hospital bed in
pain. Having such observations make the families live a life of regret for the
rest of their lives, hence allowing assisted suicide does not only positively
affect the patient but the family too.
Finally,
assisted suicide ensures that most vital organs of the dying patient are saved
and used to protect other patients. More often, certain critical and useful organs
are usually needed to save other individuals who respond well to treatment.
Therefore, with the organs taken from these persons who have been assisted by
the physician to die, the living people would have a sigh of relief to live
again. It is therefore in line with the moral obligation of doing the right
thing to others. Donating these organs to be used does not only help to save
lives but also make the families of the assisted patient to rejoice and have a
memorable legacy.
In conclusion,
physician-assisted suicide has been proved to work and saves the lives of many.
The pain the patients live in is eliminated, and the families can spend the
remaining resources on other development projects. Lives have been saved as a
result of vital body organs donated by individuals who request the euthanasia.
It is thus prudent not only to bend on the morality and religious affiliations
based on the assisted suicide but also to check on the positive outcome it
brings to the families and the society as a whole.
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