As being someone who has never had to experience physician
assisted suicide or anyone who has taken part in it this is an interesting
topic for me. I do see a few problems with PAS that is. The first being people
who see suicide as an option aren't always in the right state of mind. This can
lead them to create an impulsive decision to end their lives even though
tomorrow they might not feel the same way. The problem can be solved by making
the patient wait a set time before deciding if this is the path they truly want
to take. Another problem I see is with the doctor’s oath of "Do No
Harm". Even if it is legal taking someone's life is still considered doing
harm. There is a reason doctors are made to take this oath before they are
allowed to practice medicine. Although I do see some problems with PAS that
doesn't mean I am completely against it. If I was stuck in a bed in complete
pain and I knew I would never recover I would want to be able to end it all
instead of suffering. This of course can be seen as a completely unnatural solution to a natural problem.
I think you made some really good points about the flaws in PAS and I agree with you on them. I think that there would need to be serious guidelines if it were to be legal in all state. I am for it though because of watching my Aunt struggle with a brain tumor. She is absolutely miserable, is barely living her life and it is very hard to watch. If I was in her shoes and things were progressively getting worse, I would want to die. Because I believe that I have to say I am for it, even with all the flaws.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous commenter on this post. I do agree that it would be something that someone who is in a bad state of mind would not be permitted to commit. I think it is important to state that no matter the prescribed treatment of any medical condition (mental, physical, debilitating to the mind or the body) a person IS capable of taking their own life. I think that a candidate for PAS would have to be someone suffering with a debilitating physical condition. While I am not saying that someone suffering from depressive disorder does not "suffer" from a condition, they are not going to be deemed terminally ill. Someone with a physical illness that has been deemed terminal, should be the only ones who should be able to receive the PAS. Other than this, I think that you bring about some very good points in this entry.
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