Physician-assisted suicide

Brooke Kennedy
Carter Glass
American History; B block
8 February 2013

Bibliography

      "Physician-assisted suicide push underway in six states | WJLA.com." ABC 7 News - Washington     D.C., Maryland & Virginia News | WJLA.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/02/physician-assisted-suicide-push-underway-in-six-states-84993.html>.

Summary

Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician provides the necessary medication for a person to kill themselves. Massachusetts tried to pass a law that allowed physician-assisted suicide but it did not get passed. Other states that are thinking about passing this law are Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Kansas, and Hawaii. But there are also bills that are similar to this law that are being considered in New Hampshire, New York, Arizona, and Montana.

Analysis

I can understand both sides of this issue. I understand that if a person is suffering and has been suffering for some time that they should be able to die when they want to in a peaceful and painless way. If it is their own choice and they know all of the information about it then I think that it is fair. I also understand that it is a hard issue because that would mean that we would allow people to kill themselves, and giving them a peaceful way to do it. That makes it seem like it is a right thing to do and a promising option for some people.

Vocabulary

Assisted-suicide: the suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose.