For decades, the debate of Assisted Suicide and the decision of whether or not it should be legalized in the United States has been a hot topic nationwide. Today, the hot debate still continues with strong supporters on each side of the argument. From the very first Century B.C., Assisted Suicide has been for debate whether or not it should be allowed. Looking back all the way to Ancient Greece, the original Hippocratic Oath prohibited doctors to give patients any kind of deadly drug, even if it was asked for (Historical Timeline). Throughout the centuries up until today, the argument of Assisted Suicide has fluctuated between allowing and prohibiting the notion. On October 1st, 1976, California became the first state to grant terminally ill patients to be able to choose whether or not to withdraw life support when death is believed to be the patient’s only outcome. By 1977, eight states (California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, North Carolina, and Texas) had signed right-to-die bills into laws (Historical Timeline). This step in the nations history opens up a door to today’s version of assisted suicide. In 1990, famously known as “Doctor Death”, Dr. Jack Kevorkian assists his first physician based suicide to Janet Adkins, sparking a wide outrange of many arguments and debates on the topic and whether the act was legal or not. Kevorkian ignited a new era of assisted suicide, and spread his influence all across the country. Currently, as of February 20th, 2017, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington hold statutes to be able to partake in assisted suicide (Death with Dignity). Because many people have very strong opinions on the topic, proponents have found it difficult to persuade those to be on board of legalizing assisted suicide, as it goes against their beliefs and views on the world. In order for assisted suicide to be legalized throughout the United States, it is important to persuade as many people as possible to go forward and grant citizens the right they deserve. To persuade critics of assisted suicide to be in support of legalizing the notion throughout the United States, religious and ethical approaches should be used. 

Because the idea of assisted suicide is such a hot debate today, there are many people that are extremely for any many people extremely against the notion. Many people nearing the end of their lives or are in a terminally ill situation believe it is their right to choose how and when they are to die. They do not want to be stripped of their choices when, at the end of their time, it seems that they have very few. A documentary by The National of a woman by the name of Harriet Scott describes her emotional story during the last few weeks of her life. Although Harriet did not end up choosing to go through with physician based suicide, she speaks of how relieved she was that she had the choice to choose whether or not to partake in the notion. She also speaks of how much stress she was relieved of in her last final weeks as she suffered enough by her degenerative body. Andrew Solomon, winner of the National Book Award for his book The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, tells his story about how his mother suffered from ovarian cancer and how she wanted to leave the world with dignity, unlike one of her late friends who passed away screaming in agony in a cold hospital bed. Solomon said “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). Assisted suicide should be legalized and available to all citizens of the United States who suffer from terminally ill, degenerative, or critically painful situations. It should be their own decision as to what happens to their lives. Assisted suicide, or otherwise known as Death with Dignity, is best defined as “an end-of-life option that allows certain terminally ill people to voluntarily and legally request and receive a prescription medication from their physician to hasten their death in a peaceful, humane, and dignified manner” (Death with Dignity).  Many opponents question whether or not this act should be allowed to be done by physicians in hospitals or other care facilities. 

There are many reasons as to why an individual would wish to have this procedure done. Many patients that partake in assisted suicide have terminal cancer, have trouble breathing such as suffocation and choking, and severe pain all over the body. Many terminally ill patients believe that Death with Dignity is the best option for them, and no longer want to suffer themselves or make their loved ones suffer by making them watch their patient be in so much pain. Many people want to be able to die with “dignity” and do not wish to make their loved ones watch them suffer until the very final days their lives. People should be allowed to die with dignity and not be forced by laws into a state where all they can feel or think about is the strenuous pain they are constantly enduring. Although it may seem heartless to consider the financial damage that could be brought to a family in order to keep their terminal patient alive, “the last month of life [of a terminally ill patient] can consume 40% of the total spent on healthcare during the lifetime of an individual” (Smith). If the patient, family, and physician are all in agreement that assisted suicide it the most wanted option, they should be allowed to do so without anyone trying to stop them. In the end, one should be able to have complete control over their own situations and make decisions as to what happens to them. After all, one should not be stripped of their options because of someone who is not involved in any matter has different beliefs than they do.

Assisted suicide, unlike what most people believe, is not a fast and easy decision for most patients. In order to qualify for assisted suicide, many qualifications must be set in place before one can partake in the procedure. The patient must be an adult resident of one of the legalized states as well as being mentally competent and able to communicate with the health care provider on the different options they have. Additionally, the patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness as confirmed by two different physicians. The patient must also be able to self administer the medication prescribed to them. After all the qualifications are completed, the process can then move forward by including two oral requests, one written request, many waiting periods, and many other extensive requirements (Death with Dignity). The procedure is done in the most humane way possible. The most frequent way of taking the medication is through a large dose of a sleeping medication in a powder form that is mixed with four ounces of liquid. The mixture must be ingested within two minutes. The majority of patients fall asleep within 10 minutes of taking the medication and pass away within 1-3 hours (Death with Dignity). The option of assisted suicide is done in the most humane way possible , and in no way is it painful or long enduring in any way. 

Many critics of assisted suicide believe that religion is a reason as to why Death with Dignity should not be allowed to be an option for patients. Many patients themselves choose not to partake in assisted suicide because they believe it is just as bad as suicide and that it goes against their Christian beliefs. Additionally, they believe they will be sent to Hell if they go through with Death with Dignity. In fact, there are several religious aspects that are in support of assisted suicide. An essay written by Paul Badham explained by David Jones, the Director at the Anscombe Bioethics Centre int he UK, explores this concept of Christian support, focusing his reasoning mostly on Christian history and traditions. Throughout history, there has been many instances with mercy killings by Christian writers (Jones). Mercy killings are similar to those of assisted suicide, and have been done in the past and by many Christian authors, including Thomas More’s famous Utopia (Jones). With these Christian authors setting an example to their reader’s that mercy killings are just, one can conclude that similarly assisted suicide could be just as well. Furthermore, there are many instances in the Bible that are not believed or agreed upon in today’s society. In Genesis 3:16, it states that “To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Bible Gateway). Although some people still believe in this, in today’s society, medication is given to those in labor to cease the pains and make the experience more bearable. Additionally, many people in today’s time do not believe that the husband rules over the wife, but rather live equally and help and support each other as a fair an equal couple. Keeping these examples in mind, one can infer that not everything in the Bible can be followed in today’s society, including the excerpt speaking of every form of suicide is a sin and should not be committed. If there is a fair explanation as to why one requests assisted suicide, they should be allowed to make that decision without feeling guilty of going against the Bible if they are a religious person. 

To further understand the role of religion towards assisted suicide, US citizens can take a closer look into a study done over the Atlantic in Great Britain. Just like in America, the UK is having their own debate over legalizing assisted suicide. In this study mentioned by Andriy Zanyliv and Ciaran O’Neill, both researchers for health economics at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, they speak of “the importance of religious beliefs in attitudes to [assisted suicide] both in terms of the strength of the religious affiliation and in terms of the religious denomination with which one is affiliated” (Danyliv). One’s religious beliefs can greatly impact the support of the notion. The study taken found out that an “increase in support coincides with an increase in the degree of secularization” (Danyliv). Secularization is an instance where religion loses significance in society. The study goes on to explain that religion fluctuates in popularity throughout time and currently religion is not as popular as it has been in the past, therefore increasing support of assisted suicide in the UK. If the United States imitates this trend, the amount of supports of assisted suicide will increase and possibly eventually be legalized throughout the entire country.

While those who support assisted suicide look more at the argument as a matter of personal freedom and being able to choose what is to be done with their life, those against the notion look more towards the ethical and religious aspects of the situation. Although this may be the case, a survey conducted showed that “60% [of physicians] agreed that physician-assisted suicide should be legal in some cases” (Smith). With over half of physicians in favor of assisted suicide, this goes to show that many health care officials believe assisted suicide should be legal and free to be practiced in the United States. According to Phillipa Malpas, from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, states that “in many countries, it is recognized that an adult of sound mind has a legal and moral right to refuse any medical treatment and to withdraw from existing medical treatment, even if their decision goes against medical recommendations, and will hasten their death” (Malpas). If the situation were to be presented where the physician and the patient both agree that Death with Dignity is in fact ethical, the notion should be allowed to be practiced without the discrimination of other physicians, coworkers, or anyone else. On the contrary of what most opponents believe, the procedure of assisted suicide is completed in the most humane way possible. It is painless and safe for the patient. Before the option of assisted suicide was given to most patients, many would try to take their own life because they saw no other options available. This could be very more painful for them to endure and if they were unsuccessful, would have to deal with the pain of their attempt as well as their terminal illness. The option of assisted suicide can take away that fear or pressure for the patient to take their own life in an unsafe manor and both them and their loved ones can be put at ease. An interview conducted by Elizabeth Aguilera, a health and human services reporter for CALmatters, with Dr. Robert Olivera explores the physician’s side of assisted suicide. Olivera explains that “If [the patients] are competent, the prognosis is poor and there is no doubt and patients want to make their decisions, I think as a physician I need to be able to support that” (Aguilera). The role of a physician is to help the patients as best of their ability but most important condone to their wishes and what they want. 

Many people believe that it is not the right of the medical field to help patients die, but rather do everything that they can to help them get better and improve. The issue with this argument is that many people that are terminally ill or wish to partake in assisted suicide no longer want to prolong their life on life support or any other artificial way of keeping them alive. They are severely suffering and just want the suffering to end. Other opposers have an issue with assisted suicide going against their religion. Although the opposers might have an issue with assisted suicide going against their religion, the patient and the physician may be okay with preceding with the notion. It would be unfair to try to control an individual’s life whom you have never met and strip them of their own rights. Many other opposers believe that assisted suicide goes against the ethical code of physicians. The issue with this argument is that over 60% of physicians are in favor of the notion and assisted suicide could also be seen as a way of going against some medical recommendations and physicians must do as the patient wishes, which is legal and considered ethical all throughout the world.  Assisted suicide should be available to all citizens of the United States of America without being shamed or looked down upon because of their decision. Many people all across the globe are very critical of the legalization of Death with Dignity and believe it should not be allowed. In order to persuade opponents, being able to back up reasoning behind legalization through religious, ethical, and legal approaches could be made to finally get the country on board. Legalizing assisted suicide in the United States could finally grant patients their full rights and give them what they deserve. 
