should we decide whether to die?

Many upon many arguments can be made about whether or not terminally ill people should be allowed to decide if and how they should die. Should we be denied the freedom to die? I am opposed to denying anyone of this. There are many reasons as to why I think it is a good idea to let terminally ill people choose whether they die and how they die.

We have God given rights when we are born into this world. There is a vast amount of rights that we are given when we are born and also rights given to us by our constitution. The statement, “They give us the liberty to decide our job, our family, our religion, and even our sex preference” (Baack, unknown) was used in an article about the permission of euthanasia. This statement supports the statement about our given rights. Why should we not get to decide if we die or not when it is our body. No one else can say that we can’t die. They aren’t you. You get to make your own decisions in life and the decisions you make may have consequences sometimes. The consequence of death I feel is not a consequence when you are terminally ill and you know that there is nothing a doctor can do for you to make you any better than you are. The next question to be asked in permitting the act of euthanasia is where people would want to die. I feel that many people would like to choose to die in their home or somewhere peaceful surrounded by their loved ones.

Many things can be harmed by a person living on life support just waiting to die. Not only will the person that is terminally ill obviously be in pain and suffer, but the family around that person would also have to suffer. I have dealt with this first hand. It’s hard on you to sit there waiting for your loved one to die because you know it’s inevitable. I am sure that most people would agree with me on the fact that they would want one of their loved ones, if terminally ill, to go peacefully instead of being in pain. Also, the economic factor comes in to play because the more and more a family waits, just watching their loved one die, the more money is being spent to try and support them for a while longer. But, even though we might feel like that toward our loved ones, it is their choice. There is no arguing to it for me. It is your life, your body, you choose the choice that you feel best fits you.

Oregon is the only state that allows the assistance of a doctor to let you die. “From 1998 through 2003, just 171 people in Oregon ended their lives through physician-assisted suicide. Eighty-eight percent were 55 or older” (Ryan, 2005). We all have differences in our personal lives and different situations and circumstances. We make the decisions in life that get us to where we are in the current moment. The decisions we make, make us, who we are, what we say, and what we do. If we are allowed to make all the decisions in life that we do, like some of the more dangerous decisions such as to drink alcohol or smoke or chew tobacco, should we really be denied of our freedom to die as well? No, we shouldn’t. I full-heartedly believe that it is our choice to die, and how we should die, so let us. Don’t deny people from their God given rights.

Resources Cited:

Baack, E. (n.d.). Why euthanasia should be permitted. Retrieved from [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

Ryan, J. (2005). Right to die is necessary freedom/fate of terminally ill not up to government. Retrieved from [Only admins are allowed to see this link]