Euthanasia:
Assisted Suicide is Murder

When considering if physician assisted suicide, commonly known as Euthanasia is right or not, ask yourself if you would do it, or have a loved one do it. There are so many factors that come into play when deciding what side you're on. I believe that physician assisted suicide should not be legal under any circumstance because human life is sacred and no reason is good enough to end a life.

Religion has played a major role in many controversial topics and it is no different here. Religion brings up the idea of the value of life. Human life is very sacred and should be treated with the utmost respect. I would consider myself religious. I believe that there is a God out there and he has the last say as to when you die. If you decided to go through with euthanasia than you would be going against God’s will and his plans for you in life.

Another major topic of discussion is the patient’s self autonomy. Most often the terminally ill patients are dependent on loved ones and this causes a loss of dignity. They sometimes can't walk, eat, or even use the bathroom without assistance, but this shouldn't be a deciding factor when considering euthanasia. If you really think about it, it’s a little ridiculous to think that you should consider killing yourself because you can't use the bathroom by yourself. I think it’s crazy to feel less dignified because you need assistance.

There is also the idea of the patient's quality of life. Some people argue that when the patient is sick they aren't living their life to the fullest. I think this theory isn't exactly true. Disabled or handicapped people don't always experience life the way others do, but it doesn't mean they aren't happy to be alive.  This brings me to the Brittany Maynard case. Unless you've been hiding under a rock you must have heard about Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old who chose a date for her death. She justified her decision with not being able to function once her stage four brain cancer progressed. I think that she shouldn't have ended her life. She could have lived her life a little longer. The fact of the matter is that whether she died of cancer or the pill that ended her life, her family would have remembered her the same. As the loving Brittney they describe in the The Brittany Maynard Fund - YouTube page.

The patients hold a lot of responsibility but the doctors hold an even higher level of responsibility when dealing with assisted suicide. I believe that doctors and nurses are supposed to do everything in their power to save a life. I am currently in nursing school and approving of euthanasia would completely go against everything I believe in and striving to become. Each hospital has a mission to help each and every patient to the best of their ability. Doctor’s who have practiced physician assisted suicide have justified their decision by having the patients best interest at hand. Take Dr Death  for example. His real name is Jack Kevorkian. He was a physician who helped kill 138 people and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Well Dr. Death if you didn't commit murder then why were you convicted to prison for second degree murder?

Everyone dies at some point and I am completely aware of that but what would our life be like if we just killed ourselves before it’s intended. Whether you believe that there's a God out there or not its just not the right thing to do. It amounts to murder. I believe in living your life to the fullest, literally.