Assisted suicide (the death with dignity act)

In 1994, Oregon became the first state to authorize physicians assistant suicide, about 500 terminally ill people have taken advantage of this. Before Oregon was the first state, it was legal in Swizerland and the Netherlands, before 1994. After 1994, more states legalized it, but it became the focus of many legal battles and Religious and political controversy for years to come after that.

Many of you may remember the Terri Schiavo case. Terri Schiavo was a lady in Florida who due to lack of Oxygen to her brain, suffered severe brain damage, it left her in a coma for 2 and a half months. After she awoke, her brain damage was so significant, the doctors confirmed her to be in a "Vegetative state" she was unable to make legal decisions of her future, or have any rational communications or thoughts.

After her husbands and doctors attempts to using physical therapy and other types, her husband determined that it was time to remove the feeding tube and end her what he felt was suffering, her parents, insisted that she was not suffering..and fought to keep it in. After legal fighting back and forth, in 2005, the feeding tube was removed for the last time, and she was given no water, and then passed away on March 31st 2005 at the age of 31.

Now, the legal issue here has many points, one of which is:
A: Was Terri Schiavo suffering?
B: Do we as people on earth have the right to end another persons life?
C: Does that person have a right to end their own life? and at what point do they have that right if ever?

A lot of people argue it is not anyones place to play God, and finish off the life of that person, a lot of people argue that it is time for their body to decide when it is time to go. Many people argue that no person should be allowed to die without dignity (for example, a brain tumor where they will have no control of their actions), a lot of people will want to end their own life via the assistance of a doctor before their condition progresses. That is where the name "death with dignity" has came from. Some people want too end their life before their condition worsens, not always when they are physically knocking on deaths door. A lot of times, depending on the diagnosis, maybe it is brain cancer, or ALS, that of which they will be needing a lot of care, and it will cost a lot financially and not to mention, the care they will need where they feel their dignity is at stake. Alas: Eating, adult diapers, and etc that the debilitating condition could result in later.

Some technicalities and assistant techniques also play into a legal or moral manner in the courts, in 2000, a video was released about "how to commit suicide", that video included how to mix a lethal injection yourself and basically, put an oven bag over your head and various ways of which you will not need a doctor (I will never look at a reynolds wrap turkey bag the same again). The objective of that video, was that you do not need a doctor to humanely end your life.

There (like every issue) are people fighting for both sides of the legality of Physicians assistant suicide. One group that is for assisting suicide is called "Compassion and choices" which was created by the head of the Hemlock society (The group that put out a book on ending your own life humanely) information on that is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassion_and_Choices

That is just one of many groups that are for it, that doesn't even include one of the biggest cases in history, which is Jack Kevorkian. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kavorkian How morally correct he was, vs how he wasn't is all up to the public to decide, but his first assisted suicide was in 1990, to an elderly Woman who had Alzheimer's. He then helped 129 more terminally ill people after that, using gasses from a machine called a mercitron, and a machine called a thanatron (aka a death machine) that Jack Kevorkian invented himself. He was then thrown in Jail, and released in 2007, under the conditions that he never euthenize anyone ever again, nor comment on the manner.

This whole subject,unfortunately, is one of those legal debates that will probably go on forever. Currently, Oregon, Washington, and Montana provides legal assisted suicide, also known as the "death with dignity" act.

Another underlying issue currently is in Oregon, where people from all around the US are selling "suicide kits" essentially these kits consist of a plastic bag connected to a helium tank. Nick Klonoski, a young man with severe depression bought one of these kits for 60 dollars, and used it to commit suicide. His brother Jack is now taking a stand against these kits, and how they should not be sold, he feels as if his brother will be alive today if it were not for him purchasing the kit. This of course raises attention to the death with dignity act, where it could easily be tried and stopped again.

For years from now, there will be people arguing on if assisted suicide should be legal in states or not, only time and the many issues surrounding it, will show what fate decides for the future of this act.