Physician assisted suicide is more than death, it's about a person ending their life with dignity. Many do not want to suffer or let their love ones see them suffer, so as a result they turn to physician assisted suicide. They want to die just as they lived, with dignity and grace. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is not euthanasia. Euthanasia is a physician killing someone, PAS is someone choosing to end their own life. As described by CNN, "Physician-assisted suicide is legal in five U.S. states ...  Individuals must have a terminal illness as well as a prognosis of six months or less to live. Physicians cannot be prosecuted for prescribing medications to hasten death." Physician assisted suicide is only legal in five states: Oregon, Montana, Washington, Vermont, and California. Oregon was the first to make physician assisted suicide legal. The process for a person to go through physician assisted suicide is very similar in each of the five states it is legal. For example, in Oregon a physician must prescribe the medication but the patient must take the medicine themselves. For the patient to be eligible for physician assisted suicide, they must be diagnosed with a terminal illness that will cause death within 6 months and under-go strict testing to make sure they are capable of making the decision to end their own life. In addition to the diagnoses and testing, the physician must inform the patient of alternatives such as hospice and pain management through mediation. Once the guidelines are met, the physician can prescribe the medication. Many question the legal side of physician assisted suicide, and claim that it should not be legal because it breaks the Hippocratic Oath. Many Christians believe it should not be legal because it violates the sanctity of human life, and goes against what is said in the bible. Religion and politics aside, physician assisted suicide should be legal because people deserve to die with dignity, it does not break the Hippocratic Oath, and because it is a person choice to end their life on their own terms. 

Imagine living your life to the fullest, making all of the choices you want and having a dignified life surrounded by the people you love. Then imagine getting diagnosed with a terminal illness and being told you have to suffer, and that your love ones have to watch you suffer and watch you wither away. Andrew Solomon speaks about his experience with PAS during his mothers death in an article by Jason Breslow. Solomon says "When my mother contracted ovarian cancer at 56, she was very clear that she wanted to be able to depart the world with dignity. One of her best friends had died of cancer ...  and my mother would not be doing the same thing. On the appointed day, my father, my brother and I all joined her in her room ...  It was the hardest day of my life. I nonetheless believe it was the right decision  --  right for her and for us all. She valued control and she valued coherence, and she died as she had lived, with elegance" (Breslow). Unlike Solomon's mother, many are not able to make the same decision as her because it is not legal in their state of residence. Many people claim that if a person wants to end their life through PAS that the person can move to a state where it is legal, but it is an expensive and lengthy process for someone who has little time left to live. In 2013 NPR interviewed Robert Schwimmer, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Schwimmer said that he " ...  wants to hasten his death if he finds himself in excruciating pain or if his quality of life sharply declines" ("Family Struggles ... ").  Sadly this isn't an option for Schwimmer, as he is a resident of Chicago, and assisted suicide isn't legal in Illinois. Schwimmer wants to end his life with dignity, just as he lived it. He does not want to suffer, or let his family, including his two children, see him suffer. PAS should be an option for Schwimmer, and people like him, because they have the right to choose. Some people say that there are other options besides PAS. There is voluntary stopping of eating and drinking, but this is shown to be a long, drawn out process that tends to leave the person in an undignified state (Lachman 56). PAS is about a person having a dignified death, just as they had a dignified life. They do not want their families to see them suffering, and do not want their families to have to make difficult decisions if the person themselves becomes unable to make the decisions for themselves. Although many see it to be immoral, this is more about religion or politics. It is about options, which everyone should be able to have in their death, just as they did in their life. People do not deserve to suffer, and people families do not deserve to see them suffer. We, as American citizen, are allowed numerous civil liberties that enable us to make the choices we want. The choice to end your own life should be one of these civil liberties, and should be made legal in all 50 states. 

Many physicians are against physician assisted suicide because they believe it goes against the Hippocratic Oath.  The Hippocratic Oath essentially says that physicians need to " ... treat the sick to the best of one's ability, preserve patient privacy, and teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation, and so on" (Tyson). Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia have been popular ethical issues for doctors since the birth of Western medicine, more than 2,000 y ears ago, " ... All the arguments made today to justify -- or condemn -- the two practices were articulated before any modern biomedical technology existed" (Emanuel). According to a survey from 1993, out of 150 U.S. and Canadian medical schools, " ... only 14 percent of modern oaths prohibit euthanasia and, 11 percent hold convenant with a deity, 8 percent foreswear abortion, and a mere 3 percent forbid sexual contact with patients -- all maxims held sacred in the classical version" (Tyson). If only 14% of oaths taken forbid euthanasia, then why are so many physicians against PAS? Although they are different, many see them to be similar in this circumstance. Historically, doctors have been some of the most vocal critics of assisted suicide. The American Medical Association states that "physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer" (Gorman). In the article "From Doctor to Patient to Assisted-Suicide Advocate," writer Anna Gorman describes how one physician, Dr. Dan Swangard, feels about physician assisted suicide. Swangard use to be against physician assisted suicide but after a brush with death, he now supports it and joined a lawsuit in California that wants to allow doctors prescribe lethal medications to certain patients who want participate in physician assisted suicide. Although Swangard believes he does not know if he would be able to take them, he said that he "would want to make the choice" (Gorman). Dan stated that he supported this because "he didn't go into medicine to help dying people linger and wants to help change that approach -- for his patients and for himself" (Gorman).  Luckily, many physicians like Dr. Dan are beginning to shift their views on the subject. A recent survey of 21,000 doctors in the U.S. finds that " ... According to Medscape, the organization that did the survey, 54 percent of American doctors support assisted suicide, up from 46 percent four years earlier" (Gorman). Although this number is still relatively low, it is beginning to rise. As it begins to rise, many fear that doctors will become more comfortable with physician assisted suicide, begin to become lazy, and start not caring as much if people live or die. This is not the case though, and people should not worry that this will happen because physicians have taken an oath to take care of the ill. This oath does not interfere with a person's right to participate in physician assisted suicide 

We, as Americans, live very good lives. Not everyone in American lives the best life, but most of us are able to make the choices we want in life in order to have the life we want. Physician assisted suicide should be one of the choices available to all American citizens, regardless of where they live. It is only legal in five U.S. states, but should be legal in all 50. Another problem with physician assisted suicide being available to everyone is affordability. Many are unable to afford it because of their insurance. California recently passed a bill to allow physician assisted suicide, but many of its residents will not be able to use the service because of their economic background.  As many as 12 million low-income Californians are enrolled in the state's Medicaid program, " ... which provides limited -- and perhaps diminishing -- healthcare options ... " (Hale). This is not the case in all states though, " ... For example, in 2008, Oregon resident Barbara Wagner was seeking chemotherapy treatment to fight advanced lung cancer. The Oregon Health Plan office refused to pay $4,000 per month ...  But it did offer to pay $50 for lethal prescription drugs to end her life" (Hale). There is a problem in that they would not pay for her treatment, but the fact that they would pay for her for her to end her life is the option that many Americans do not have but want. In the case of Robert Schwimmer, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer but was unable to participate in physician assisted suicide because of where he lived, the choice was made for him. He, as well as his children, wanted Schwimmer to be able to decide for himself. Schwimmer was unable to make this choice because of where he lived. His children said that " ... it would make them feel a lot more comfortable if they lived in a state that allowed physician-assisted suicide" ("Family Struggles ... "). Schwimmer, and others like him, should have been able to choose for themselves. Instead of making the choice for himself and dying with dignity, Schwimmer and many others like him had to die without dignity, while their families watched them suffer. We deserve the right to choose and should be able to make the choice of when we die for ourselves. Our families should not be left to deal with difficult tasks such as the pulling the plug, and should not have to watch us suffer. We should be able to make the choice for our self, and the political and religious views of others should not get in the way of our right to die with dignity. 

Many Christians are against physician assisted suicide because they believe that it goes against their values for human's life. Anderson states in "Physician-Assisted Suicide is Always Wrong" that "Human life doesn't need to be extended by every medical means possible, but a person should never be intentionally killed. Doctors may help their patients to die a dignified death from natural causes, but they should not kill their patients or help them to kill themselves. This is the reality that such euphemisms as "death with dignity" and "aid in dying" seek to conceal." Many claim that are many other options, such as hospice (Quil 1381). What they fail to realize is that these options do not allow for the person to die with dignity. Many do not want their families to see them suffer, and think that physician assisted suicide will help them end their life with dignity. Some people of religion have come to accept physician assisted suicide, even though it does not go with their beliefs. The California governor Brown, a former Jesuit (Pope Francis's religious order), wrote that he had struggled with the decision to sign the bill that would make physician assisted suicide legal in California. He said, in regards to the bill that "I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn't deny that right to others" (Hale). People who have strong religious beliefs are not the only ones who believe that physician assisted suicide should not be legal. Many doctors do not believe it should be legal because it violates the Hippocratic Oath. What people who are against physician assisted suicide fail to realize is that not everyone is religious, and just because something is legal means that you have to participate in it. People who are against physician assisted suicide fail to see that it's not just about a person's death, it is about preserving the life that the person made for themselves. These people want to keep their dignity, and physician assisted suicide allows a person to keep their dignity. Religion should not be a factor in the legalization of physician assisted suicide in all 50 states, as well as many other controversial topics that are important.

Physician assisted suicide should be legal in all 50 states. Everyone should be allowed to choose how they die, because as Americans we are allowed to choose how we live so we should have the same right for our death. Many people do not think that physicians assisted suicide should be legal, but they do not see the suffering that people with terminal illnesses have to go through. Physician assisted suicide is more than death, it's about a person ending their life with dignity. Many do not want to suffer or let their love ones see them suffer, so as a result they turn Physician assisted suicide is only legal in five states: Oregon, Montana, Washington, Vermont, and California. But it should be available to every American citizen. Many question the legal side of physician assisted suicide, and claim that it should not be legal because it breaks the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take. Many Christians believe it should not be legal because it violates the sanctity of human life. Religion and politics aside, physician assisted suicide should be legal because people deserve to die with dignity, it does not break the Hippocratic Oath, and because it is a person choice to end their life on their own terms. Physician assisted suicide is not about death. It is about preserving the life that someone has made for themselves. No one wants to see their love ones suffer, and physician assisted suicide should be an option for everyone who wants to participate in it. What people who are against physician assisted suicide fail to see that it's not just about a person's death, it is about preserving the life that the person made for themselves. These people want to keep their dignity, and physician assisted suicide allows a person to keep their dignity. We all want to have dignity while we live and want to be respected by the people around us. Physician assisted suicide should be legal because it allows a person the right to choose what they want in death, and allows for them to keep their dignity. 

