Recently I also read an article on the controversy surrounding doctor assisted suicide. Oregon law currently allows it but patients must be over 18, have a diagnosis giving them six months or less to live, make the request to their doctor twice at least 15 days apart, and have another doctor confirm their diagnosis and prognosis. People are split on this as well. Some think its morally wrong and others are all for it.
People for years have been saving up their prescription pills and using them to commit suicide when faced with a nasty diagnosis/prognosis. This just legalizes the process for those who have been told you will die a nasty death in a few months. But others without the diagnosis/prognosis will still save up their pills... But that's another blog post.
I think if I was told I had stage IV cancer, have tried numerous treatment protocols and nothing worked, and was told that's it - nothing left to try. I would want the option of being able to say "I don't want to wait and want to die on my own terms". I would have to be very convinced that death would be painful and nasty and involve a lot of suffering. I realize that this might not be for everyone. But this is a country of choice. People live their lives the way they want, Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Independents, etc, they go to church or not, they have children or not, they practice their own beliefs, are vegan, vegetarian, or omnivores, and many other choices.
Why can't we also have the choice not to have to wait if we are so far into an irrevocable process that will only end painfully? Ask anyone how they want to die and I think all will agree they want it to be fast without a lot of suffering. If you are able to skip the suffering and the long wait, why not? I realize this is controversial but I would like to see this legal.
1 comment:
Hi Caroline, would you contact me? I have an idea for October. Thank you so much. Julia http://blog.savethetatas.com/
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