Psy 500 - the Right to Die with Dignity

The Right to Die With Dignity

PSYCH/500 - Lifespan Development

December 17, 2012

The Right to Die With Dignity

Freedom is one of the greatest advantages of humans. The right to live, and die, in one's on way, and in accordance with one's own desires or beliefs is one of those freedoms. Death with dignity is a spreading movement which is lobbying for the right of a dying person to control their end of life care. Euthanasia is the administration of a lethal mediation by a physician or a third party to end the life of an individual, this method is illegal in all states of the Union. However, assisted suicide is where a patient is given medication by a third party or physician to take that will end his or her life, this is legal in three states of the union, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The rules state that the patient must have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is of sound mind, which has been confirmed by eye witnesses and at least two doctors. The right to die choice is a matter of entitlement with the understanding that a terminally ill person can decide to commit suicide or assisted suicide or they can decline life prolonging treatment only if the medication will not stop the patient's pain.

The debate over the right to die with dignity has been going on for years. The law and lawmakers enacted laws to protect those not able to make rational decisions on their own. One important question was asked, who would be chosen or empowered to make those decisions, and there has been a lot of debate concerning this as well. There are now three states that currently have the right to die with dignity allowed in their laws, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The right to die movement has disclosed that the number of individuals who want to decide on how they die, when the die, and where they die is increasing, which brings the debate to the forefront of political meetings (Death with Dignity National Center, 2012). Many old people have been reduced to taking their own lives some in violent or unpleasant ways because they have no peaceful or humane way available to them. It is very sad to see the loss of dignity and lack of quality for some older individuals left in nursing homes. We as a society treat our sick and old animals better and with more humanity than humans.

The right to die laws is different in all states however the bottom line agreement is that it is illegal to perform the service for the ill person. The Montana Supreme Court decided in 2009 that the State Constitution upholds the protected right for a peaceful death with dignity. In Washington a similar law was also passed in 2008 making them the second and third state to allow assisted right to die with dignity laws. In 1994, voters passed by a narrow margin, Death with Dignity Act in Oregon becoming the first state to grant death with dignity laws, however it was challenged and the court suspended the law. (Kirtley, 2011). There are several more options for those dying than in 1997 with 3 states allowing assisted death; hospice care in all states Physicians can pursue legal aggressive pain management, including the use of opiates or barbiturates which can hasten death. Patients can choose to discontinue or forego life sustaining therapies.