I was interested in the debate of physician-assisted suicide at first because my mom was discussing it with me after seeing an article about the debate. It is an interesting topic because the government decided to make it a state law. Only five states have made it legal to perform physician-assisted suicide on ill patients. I was shocked I did not hear about this issue before, looking at how little the amount of states was. Obviously it is a highly debated topic that politicians can not agree on. After hearing about the issue, I do not have strong values for or against the issue and I could not decide my position. That is also why I was interested in the topic, because I have no bias going into my research. Therefore, only the research will help me make my decision to decide if I am for or against physician-assisted suicide. After the research I have done I am leaning towards saying physician-assisted suicide should be illegal in all states. I should be writing about this topic because I am a citizen of the United States, and I should have an opinion on the laws being made. It is a current issue in the media now and I need to be able to form my own stance on the issue. 

Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted in the suicide of more than 130 terminally ill people and he ended up serving eight years in prison. He served time for second-degree murder after he administered a lethal injection illegally.  He administered the drug in the back of a van and then called the authorities and told them what he had done. He was fighting to make it legal because when he is older and he says its time he wants to be able to die. He was fighting for what he believed in because he is passionate about making the law legal. He was just helping this woman from ending her pain. Dr. Jack Kevorkian registered the drunk illegally because it was his only option. This article was written by Dennis C. McLellan, a widely trusted author from Los Angeles Times which is a reliable major news source. 

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a national survey about physician- assisted suicide. This journal found that for the major public "polls show that most favor legalization," (Colbert, Schulte, and Adler). However, this survey was proposed to U.S. physicians who are caring for dying patients. The survey answers were organized into regions of practice, religion, and specialty. There is no bias in this article but there are some aspects of the survey that need to be reorganized. Some issues with the survey administered are if the physicians are telling the truth since it was sent out in the mail. Also this survey was done in 1998 and a lot has changed since that time period. 

In America: History and Life, they discuss the religious side to physician-assisted suicide. After the rulings of 'Washington' v. 'Glucksberg' and 'Vacco' v. 'Quill' in the supreme court in 1997, this has been a highly debated topic. The patient has a constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide. Many argue there is a role of religion in the state prohibition of physician-assisted suicide, that these cases should have allowed physician-assisted suicide but church involvement prevented that. There is an obvious bias in this article for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.  This is a credible source because it is from a reliable database called America: History and Life. 

The research question is arguable because two different groups of people could argue either sides. It is also a questionable research question because it is currently being debated today. I agree with the articles I have found that want to make it legal. The fact that Dr. Kevorkian had to result in doing something illegal shows how much pain the woman was in. He was just trying to help and he risked going to jail to end her suffering. The fact that most United States physicians want to make it legal is a big factor. Those doctors work with dying patients everyday and they know what is best for them. Overall, I think it is our right as citizens to be able to choose to die in order to end the suffering. 

