Should assisted suicide be legalized?

Topic:
Policy Debates

24 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
58% of users

  • Assisted suicide should be the patients decision.

    Although there should be limitations set, I believe assisted suicide should be legalized. A patient should have the right to make his or her own decisions about their health; this should not be the right of the state. Some illnesses and injuries are incurable and cause great pain. The government should not have the right to sentence these patients to suffering for the rest of their short lives.

    Yes SpikyWesley

  • If it can be proven, beyond a doubt, that a person is rationally choosing suicide, then assistance should be available.

    Suicide is, by definition, a purely self-regarding act and, therefore, generally beyond the remit of governmental regulation. Assistance should only be provided in such a manner that the patient can somehow initiate the process themselves, while in a rational state of mind, to ensure that the decision is theirs, and theirs alone. However, I would argue that there is no reason why it should be required that any doctor or other medical professional be required to provide this service. Rather, the patient should seek out someone of a similar opinion. As any general member of society can obtain various tools with which to kill oneself, doing otherwise simply discriminates against those who are not physically capable of committing suicide.

    Yes EvasiveCecil

  • Assisted suicide should be legal, because it should be a person's right to decide what to do with their bodies.

    Women have been granted the right to have abortions on the grounds that it's their body and right to choose. Assisted suicide should be no different. It would also cut down on dangerous and messy methods of suicide that desperate people resort to now.

    Yes darcyska

  • Yes, Yes, Yes. People should have as much say over how their lives end as they do on how they are lived.

    This issue has always rankled me. Who is to tell me how to live my life or for that matter how to end it? If there is anything that is sacred it should be how one dies and I do not think that the state should be involved in the decision.

    Yes wahsfone

  • In the cases of the terminally ill, I believe that assisted suicide should be available for those who want to avoid those painful last days.

    First of all, it is a freedom of choice issue. Nothing irks me more than the "no big government" crowd who then want to trample upon the rights of what individuals do with their own bodies. As is the case with assisted suicide. I can understand outlawing assisted suicide with healthy people, as it could be interpreted as influencing someone who is mentally vulnerable at the time. However, in the case of the terminally ill, assisted suicide is normally a lucid, well-thought out decision.

    Yes EBaker

  • Doctor assisted suicide provides a valuable life service and provides safeguards for those wishing to end their lives.

    Allowing doctors to assist in suicide provides a means of oversight. By making the process legal, components such as counseling can become a part of the process. Moreover, a doctor's assistance will ensure success, thus eliminating the fear of serious injury (without death), and a lack of suffering. For some people, especially those with chronic pain or terminal illnesses, suicide is a solution that is ethical in and of itself. Allowing doctors to assist in the process should be legalized.

    Yes N3r0nKrooI

  • I support the legalization of assisted suicides because to commit suicide, and decide how it is done, is a person's individual right.

    There is a long history of support for the concept of the right to die in certain situations. For example in the U.S. a person can deny medical treatment for religious reasons and effectively kill themselves, and the medical professionals who are not treating that person are assisting his or her suicide by refraining from providing treatment. There is not much of a difference between that situation and one in which a doctor is making the suicide less painful in an assisted suicide situation.

    Yes M0urM4j3r3

  • I think people should have the right to die with dignity.

    At some point a person may decide that their condition is so bad and their demise so certain that they want to pass on now rather than later. This is an extremely heart wrenching and extremely personal decision, and the government should not interfere with it. If a person does wish to pass on, it is only humane that they should have the opportunity to so painlessly, easily and with dignity. Also, they should be able to request the help of a health care professional rather than having to ask a family member to do something so difficult, not to mention having to worry about possible legal consequences for loved ones.

    Yes 54r4h5FinI

  • By legalizing assisted suicide, the government is honoring the choice of the individual.

    Individuals who have limited quality of life should have the right to chose when they die. We, as a society, often treat our pets more humanely that we do our fellow human beings. We feel it is important to not let our pets suffer, but due to the sanctity of human life, we will allow those closest to us to live in unbearable pain. By legalizing assisted suicide, the government can more closely evaluate the practice and prevent its abuse.

    Yes 5h4n3Got

  • Assisted suicide should be considered as a human kindness.

    The concept of assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill is a process that if properly administered can relieve tremendous suffering. While it would require a strong presence of government oversight to prevent abuses, the cost is a small price in comparison to the pain and anguish associated with a lengthy hospital stay for those who have no hope of recovery.

    Yes ThegaXen

  • Yes, assisted suicide should be legalized only in cases of terminal conditions.

    Assisted suicide should be legalized to give control to those people that are diagnosed with a terminal condition and have to hope for a cure so that they might be able to die on their own terms and with dignity. It is not up to society to decide that these types of people should have to wait out their terminal illness until it's final painful end.

    Yes SlayClim

  • I support assisted suicide, a body and the life that goes with it are the owners right and responsibility.

    It just seems backwards to me to not allow some one control of the end of their own life. Particularly if the natural end of that life is going to be painful. We don't stop some one from dieting or over eating, from getting piercings or tattoos, from smoking or getting pregnant, or ending a pregnancy. If how some one lives their life isn't important to us, then why should how they choose to end it be?

    Yes R0II4Icy

  • Assisted suicide should be legalized because it is a comfort measure and does not cause undue injury to anyone.

    Assisted suicide should be legalized for individuals with devastating health concerns or other limited function. Assisted suicide provides comfort to the individual and to the family as well. Assisted suicide can be seen as an act of mercy by limiting the suffering of an individual who will die soon or someone who is stuck in a dependent condition. Assisted suicide could save insurance companies as well as government funded health care programs millions of dollars each year by ending the suffering of end stage patients. These patients are a drain on the economy and health care resources, by removing them from the equation other individuals with treatable conditions could thrive.

    Yes VampireShu

  • Assisted suicide should be legalized because the health care costs saved could be invested elsewhere.

    Assisted suicide should be legalized because the health care costs saved could be invested elsewhere. Assisted suicide can save the health care industry an untold amount of money caring for terminally ill patients that no longer wish to be taken care of or helped. Countless amounts of dollars are spent every year on medicine, equipment and manpower keeping many patients as comfortable as possible but unable to cure their stricken disease. If an individual decides to end their suffering, the money saved would be invaluable. The money could be reinvested in the health care field for any number of projects such as training, research and prescription drug prices.

    Yes 53r3n3Piers
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No
42% of users

  • Assisted suicide should not be legal, because it is nearly the equivalent of murder.

    Helping someone cut their life short is nearly as bad as murdering them yourself. Instead of assisting people in trying to take their own lives, we should encourage them to want to live. For people of a religious background, this is especially important, because both the person wanting to take their own life and the person assisting would most likely have to answer to God for their actions.

    No SoWinif

  • Assisted suicide can lead to the dangerous policy of valuing one human life more or less than another.

    I believe the legalization of assisted suicide will lead people to value one life more, or less, than another. If pain is the gauge by which we decide if life is "worth living", then any human being, at any time of emotional distress, would have grounds to end his life. As a believer in the sanctity of life and limited government, I do not believe that any state has the right to end an innocent life, even if the person asks for death. I would not want to set the precedent that life is only valuable, as long as it is comfortable.

    No SadLamar85

  • No, I disagree that assisted suicide should be legalized, because it is not anyone's right to take another person's life, no matter what.

    I disagree that assisted suicide should be legalized, because it is just not anyone's right to take another person's life, whether they want someone to, or not. What if a person under a tremendous amount of stress begs a friend to take their life? If it was legal, would that make this person's life any better by allowing it to happen? What about their family and friends? People have rough times. It's called life. As for sick people that just want to die, medications and hospice care is more comforting and a better alternative than having someone take your life and never forgetting what they did.

    No I33Iess

  • I disagree that assisted suicide should be legal because there is no reason why a person should be forced to make that decision for himself if his medical care is the best it can be.

    It used to be that when a terminal patient was writhing in pain the doctors wouldn't give him enough morphine because, "...he can become an addict." Someone finally realized that once you're that bad off addiction is the least of your worries and now patients are given what they need to go as quietly into the dark night as possible. Nobody should be forced to continue living when death is inevitable, but neither should he expect someone else to help him die. Legalized assisted suicide is a slippery slope. First it's the hopelessly terminal, then it will be those living with chronic but not necessarily deadly diseases and finally those who are mentally unstable will be next in line. It's a can of worms that should never be opened.

    No N3vinFace

  • It should not be in the control of a doctor

    Doctors will only gain more power if assisted suicide is legalized. They will be able to evacuate sick patients much faster and blame it assisted suicide. Of course that is not my primary reason; Death is the hands of God and it should be kept this way. Killing oneself even if terminally ill is exactly as described in the title as "suicide". And because the doctor is assisting a patient in killing themselves then they are technically "murderers".

    No Anonymous

  • Legalizing assisted suicide is not only wrong but should be considered assisted murder.

    I believe that helping someone to kill themselves is assisting them in murder. Stopping the human heart is God's business and this is a common belief of nearly all religions.

    No 5c4ryVirg

  • Assisted suicide should not be legalized, I don't' want death panels from the government.

    Assisted suicide should not be legalized, this subject has come up more often over the last year because of the health care bill that is trying to pass. I believe the government would start ending someone's life sooner especially if they are elderly so it will save money. it is much cheaper for assisted suicide than trying to do everything possible medically to save a persons life no matter how old they are.

    No TaFiel

  • Assisted suicide is wrong because you are helping someone end their life when they deserved to have the life they have.

    If you were to help someone kill themselves you would be committing a sin and that is not a good thing. They deserve to live. It would be better if you decided to help them through their depression and cheer them up appropriately and not allow them to commit that upon themselves.

    No waffletime

  • I oppose assisted suicide because it is not our decision for when someone must die.

    I oppose assisted suicide, because terminating s person's life should not be decided by them or their loved ones. Besides if assisted suicide is passed, how can we determine if or when a person has no hope in surviving? This is just like shooting a old cow or dog to put them out of their misery. Assisted suicide is very inhumane and should not be legalized.

    No RaouICyber

  • I oppose the legalization of assisted suicide as life or death should not be decided by any individual.

    Legalization of assisted suicide is a controversial issue that in theory sounds compassionate and reasonable. Unfortunately allowing family, doctors and loved ones to decide whether someone lives or dies is fraught with pitfalls. There is the obvious example of benefactors wishing to speed up the patients demise. Additionally although a patient may request suicide, are they in sound mind and capable of making a rational decision.

    No R3n5God2iIIa
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