Death with dignity act = dignified suicide

The topic of euthanasia and physician is very controversial in my household, something I do not know what to feel about it. Reading this article from However, The National Post may have helped me  get some things clear in my mind. The article talks about the state of Oregon and the Death With Dignity Act, which protects patients, doctors, and pharmacists who adhere to some of the many rules from criminal prosecution (Lewis, 2012). The Death With Dignity Act differs from euthanasia, which is punishable by law and illegal. The overriding difference between the two is that the drug must be self-administered (Lewis, 2012).  Also, the actual act of dying is not done on whim. The patient must make a written request signed in the presence of  two witnesses and must take two oral requests by his or her doctor that are separated by 15 days (Lewis, 2012).

Taken from http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedImages/Topics/Issues/Science_and_Bioethics/oregon_large%281%29.jpg

Do I believe that such an act is ethical? Yes, but I say so with reservation. Those who are old enough and understand the concept of death and view it as a blessing in comparison to the constant unbearable pain they suffer should have a means of coping with that pain. Moreover, those who wish to die with dignity should be allowed the right to do so. It does not make much sense to keep a person alive that wants to die. But while I would like to believe that the act was spurned from good intentions to put those out of their unbearable misery, the truth is that there are many who will abuse the provisions of the act and cause harm to those most vulnerable. I would love to argue that life insurance or death insurance is a good call; it gives some form of compensation to those who have lost a loved one. But people abuse that every day, in the same fashion I am sure Oregon's Death With Dignity Act is subject to be abused.

I will probably have more to say about this, but this is all I can coherently muster right now.

Reference:

Lewis, C. (2012, June 22). What oregon’s experience can teach us about assisted suicide. National Post. Retrieved June 22, 2012, from http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/06/22/what-oregons-experience-can-teach-us-about-assisted-suicide/