Physician Assisted Suicide - Right or Wrong?

It's almost unbearable to witness a loved family member deteriorating slowly. Can you imagine watching a family member or a friend for that matter die slowly; suffering with every labored breath they take? We want to be with the ones we love for as long as possible, probably forever if we had the choice. So when someone you love is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it's hard. But what's harder is when that loved one doesn't want to live anymore, when they opt for physician-assisted suicide.

For now, Oregon is the only state that specifically allows physician-assisted suicide. Under the Death with Dignity Act, a terminally ill patient can request that a physician to end his/her life administer prescribed drugs. North Carolina, Utah and Wyoming don't have laws specifically allowing physician-assisted suicide but they do not have statutes that criminalize it. So if you or a loved one is diagnosed with a disease that is slowly killing you, making you suffer beyond what's tolerable, in Oregon, your right to die with dignity is recognized. This is one of those issues where it's extremely difficult to decide if it should be acceptable. Some look to old-fashioned moral beliefs to help them decide. Others look to their religion and some just go by the law. How can anyone go by the law on such a personal issue? It's unimaginable to let a complete stranger decide your loved one's fate when that person it lying in a vegetative state, bleeding to death, suffocating, or choking on their own blood, slowly dying in agony.

One could say that it is immoral to sit and watch someone suffer in agonizing pain when you know that there is no hope for them to recover. Another could refute by saying that it is immoral to take someone's life, for whatever reason, because that would be playing God. If you were to say that it is that person's choice if they want to live or die, then wouldn't you be condoning suicide? I personally believe that no person should have to suffer in any way, shape, or form of the word, but because I am a Christian, I can't condone physician-assisted suicide. This is where moral and religious beliefs conflict. How can you possible be okay with making someone die in that state? Everyone wants to be respected in some shape or form. Everyone wants his or her dignity and everyone is entitled to it. How is dying with blood and bodily fluids oozing over you dying with dignity? How is the right to dignity any different when you are alive and healthy to when you are dying in what you feel is a demoralizing way? This is when the right to dignity counts the most.

Some might ask what's the difference between pulling the plug on someone's life support, per their request in a living will, and physician-assisted suicide. I'm not sure that there is a difference, yet legally, if you state in a living will of some sort that you do not want to live like a vegetable on life support and that you want the plug pulled, it has to be honored in most cases. So do you think it's the same if you don't want to die with bodily fluids leaking from you, unable to move certain limbs, and in terrible mind-numbing pain and you decide to end it through physician-assisted suicide? Should this be something for each and every individual to decide for himself or herself? Yes, you should absolutely be allowed to decide this for yourself. I can understand why the government is having trouble with this, but when you really think about it, how can you say that an individual doesn't have the right to end their own pain and suffering? Individuals have the right to decide which religion to honor, the right to protect themselves, the right to free speech, how is this any different? When it all comes down to it, it is no different. It should be your individual choice, end of story.